THE Scottish Greens have called for the extension of universal free school meals for all pupils across Scotland, during term time and school holidays.
Primary pupils up to P5 currently get free school meals, with the Scottish Government committing to extend this to P6 and P7 by the end of the parliamentary term.
Children from low-income families can receive free school meals during school holidays, although this is means-tested.
A motion at the Scottish Greens conference calling for the extension of universal free school meals – brought forward by a representative from Scottish Young Greens – passed overwhelmingly at 92%.
The motion called on the Scottish Government to “act immediately” to introduce free school meals, without means-testing, to both primary and secondary school students during term time, as well as the extension of free school meals to all pupils universally, rather than based on means-testing.
It also recognised that the implementation of free school meals to older primary pupils was “slower than desired” and that there had been “no sign of progress from the Scottish Government” on the rollout of pilot programmes in secondary schools.
The preamble to the motion reads: “There has been great progress in Scotland in extending the provision of free school meals.
“However, recently progress has stalled and there’s been delays to the roll out of free school meals from key figures in the Scottish Government (including the First Minister).
“This motion asks conference to re-affirm Scottish Greens' commitment to universal free school meals, as is party policy, and calls for the Scottish Government to move faster and further in delivering this so no child in Scotland continues to go hungry.”
Calls to extend free school meals to all pupils in primary and secondary schools have previously been supported by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), the largest teaching union in Scotland.
When the Scottish Government first announced plans to extend free school meals to all primary pupils last year, EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley wrote to the then first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Bradley wrote: “The EIS is of the view now more than ever that stigma-free access to food during the school day and holiday periods for all children and young people, including those from P6 to S6, has to be one of the emergency measures that Scotland takes.”
