‘We’ve got a lost generation of children’: Tom Kerridge on the importance of providing free school meals
2 years, 4 months ago

‘We’ve got a lost generation of children’: Tom Kerridge on the importance of providing free school meals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “So we’ve got the MPs eating subsidised lunches and dinners, but we’re not giving free school meals to kids whose parents are on universal credit…” The chef shakes his head in bewilderment. “And you know, if you think that’s correct, then we’re at a wrong point in society.” To make change happen, please sign the petition by clicking here Sat in his bar and grill at the Corinthia Hotel, London, Kerridge is on rattling form as he explains his support for extending free school meals to all children in poverty, the basis for The Independent's Feed the Future campaign in partnership with a coalition of campaigning groups led by the Food Foundation. “The parents might be working two or three jobs, they might still be having to use food banks, but their children still won’t qualify,” Kerridge explains. “And then what happens is that those children, those 800,000 kids, are either not getting a meal or they’re getting a packed lunch – but that packed lunch is being made up of nutritionally unbalanced things, of cheaper, poorer quality ingredients.” Many parents, especially those working irregular hours or on zero-hours contracts, are too short on time to shop for and prepare a proper packed lunch, or in some instances lack the know-how.

Food Kids School Free Meals Meal Universal Credit Free School Meals Tom Kerridge Kerridge Children Tom  free  weve  poverty  meal  generation  lost  school  providing  importance  children  tom  food  theyre  meals  kerridge  kids

History of this topic

A million children 'face losing free school meals over the next five years' as protections end for parents moving on to universal credit
2 weeks ago

A million children 'face losing free school meals over the next five years' as protections end for parents moving on to universal credit

Daily Mail  

A million children face losing free school meals over the next five years as parents on legacy benefits are forced to move on to universal credit, it has been revealed. The newspaper reported that internal Government estimates suggest a million children will be stripped of free school meals by the end of the decade when they go from primary to …

Indonesia's free lunch program to stop malnutrition
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Indonesia's free lunch program to stop malnutrition

ABC  

David Lipson: It's the free lunch with a seven billion dollar price tag and Indonesia's new leader hopes it will help end a pervasive malnutrition problem. Bill Birtles: Across Indonesia 600,000 students are receiving free meals this week a government spokesman Dedek Prayudi says the program will rapidly scale up. But it's a low-key launch President Prabowo says we shouldn't …

T’gana: Panel cites low payment for ‘poor’ mid-day meal
3 months, 2 weeks ago

T’gana: Panel cites low payment for ‘poor’ mid-day meal

Hindustan Times  

Hyderabad The Telangana government, which has substantially enhanced the mess charges being paid to students of residential schools and welfare hostels by 40% since November 1 resulting in improved diet for them, has started taking measures to improve the quality of food being provided to students under the mid-day meal scheme in the state-run schools across the state, officials familiar …

Can you guess the dish? Furious parents blast school dinners they 'wouldn't feed their dog' with 'fossilised' sausage rolls, dry burgers and burnt paninis...have YOUR children been served worse?
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Can you guess the dish? Furious parents blast school dinners they 'wouldn't feed their dog' with 'fossilised' sausage rolls, dry burgers and burnt paninis...have YOUR children been served worse?

Daily Mail  

Furious parents have branded their children's school meal 'shocking and disgusting' and claimed they are paying '£30 a week for them to be fed next to nothing'. Other parents claimed they would serve better food to their dogs The school has apologised and cited supplier issues One more said: 'Looks very poor, it's not hard to make nice food. Roast …

Banning schools from serving meat is a recipe for disaster
6 months ago

Banning schools from serving meat is a recipe for disaster

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Vince, an environmentally conscious entrepreneur who …

Breakfast clubs in primary schools ‘an investment in our young people’ – Reeves
6 months, 1 week ago

Breakfast clubs in primary schools ‘an investment in our young people’ – Reeves

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Today, I can announce that that will start in …

US consumer watchdog finds that school lunch fees are taking a toll on parents
6 months, 2 weeks ago

US consumer watchdog finds that school lunch fees are taking a toll on parents

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Single mother Rebecca Wood, 45, was already dealing with high medical bills in 2020 when she noticed she was being charged a $2.49 “program fee” each time she loaded money onto her daughter’s school lunch account. So I’d pay for six lunches, but only get five.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal policy on …

Swinney: Westminster to blame for scrapping of free school meal pledge
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Swinney: Westminster to blame for scrapping of free school meal pledge

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scotland’s First Minister has blamed the previous UK government for …

How School Lunch Became A Symbol Of Tim Walz's Appeal To Voters
7 months, 1 week ago

How School Lunch Became A Symbol Of Tim Walz's Appeal To Voters

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Making school meals free for all students in Minnesota is one of Tim Walz’s signature achievements as governor. A voter survey published Wednesday by the Democratic polling firm Blueprint found free school lunch “is the only one of Walz’s most popular accomplishments surveyed that more than 40% of voters have heard about.” And it’s a major reason …

Free school holiday meals could be pulled for half a million children if council cuts continue, Reeves warned
7 months, 1 week ago

Free school holiday meals could be pulled for half a million children if council cuts continue, Reeves warned

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A report from charity End Furniture Poverty writes that 22 local authorities say they …

Mapped: One in four pupils in England are eligible for free school meals
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Mapped: One in four pupils in England are eligible for free school meals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Education sector leaders said the numbers were just “the tip of the iceberg” as …

Lib Dems pledge to provide free school meals to all primary school children
10 months ago

Lib Dems pledge to provide free school meals to all primary school children

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Liberal Democrats want to provide free school meals to …

Breakfast and lunch programs in schools are helping families battling the cost of living
10 months ago

Breakfast and lunch programs in schools are helping families battling the cost of living

ABC  

In a warehouse next to Adelaide Airport, four retired men are scurrying like ants. "It sort of introduces you to another world," said former Adelaide Crows football manager and volunteer John Reid. "When I come into the breakfast club all my worries go away because I've got people to talk to," she said. "Everyone right now is struggling with inflation, …

Schools dipping into their own budgets to stop children going hungry
10 months, 1 week ago

Schools dipping into their own budgets to stop children going hungry

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Schools are using their own budgets to stop children going …

What ARE these school dinners? Parents share grim pictures of the meals given to their children at £11,910-a-year private girls' school... so how many can YOU correctly identify?
1 year ago

What ARE these school dinners? Parents share grim pictures of the meals given to their children at £11,910-a-year private girls' school... so how many can YOU correctly identify?

Daily Mail  

Parents of pupils at a top independent school have slammed the 'utterly unacceptable' quality of their catering. Around 200 parents are calling for urgent changes to be made at Withington Girls School in Manchester after grim photos emerged of the food being given to pupils aged between seven and 18. Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk Roast turkey served with just two potatoes at …

100,000 children in poverty in north west England are going hungry in classes as they aren't eligible for free school meals, report claims
1 year, 1 month ago

100,000 children in poverty in north west England are going hungry in classes as they aren't eligible for free school meals, report claims

Daily Mail  

Around 100,000 children living in poverty in north west England are going hungry at school as they are ineligible for free school meals, a report has claimed. Pupils in year three and above are only eligible for the scheme if their household is on universal credit and has an income of below £7,400 per year, before benefits and after tax, …

Families sending children to school without food amid cost-of-living squeeze
1 year, 2 months ago

Families sending children to school without food amid cost-of-living squeeze

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The study, by The Food Foundation and The Bread and Butter Thing, found that …

Minnesota program to provide free school meals for all kids is costing the state more than expected
1 year, 3 months ago

Minnesota program to provide free school meals for all kids is costing the state more than expected

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s program to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of income is costing the state more than expected because of a jump in demand. Tim Walz signed the legislation last spring, advocates said the free meals would ease stresses on parents and help reduce childhood poverty while lifting the stigma on kids …

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study
1 year, 4 months ago

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The spread of charitable food …

Three in 10 adults struggle to feed their household research reveals
1 year, 5 months ago

Three in 10 adults struggle to feed their household research reveals

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. While a separate study of 745 teachers - also …

More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded US program
1 year, 6 months ago

More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded US program

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Millions of additional students in schools serving low-income communities will be eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost under a rule change announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At schools where 25% of families participate in income-based public benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, the federal government now will cover the cost …

More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded US program
1 year, 6 months ago

More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded US program

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. At schools where 25% of families participate in income-based …

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey
1 year, 7 months ago

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. FareShare, a charity which tackles hunger and food waste, is calling on the Government …

Schoolkids in 8 states can now eat free school meals, advocates urge Congress for nationwide policy
1 year, 7 months ago

Schoolkids in 8 states can now eat free school meals, advocates urge Congress for nationwide policy

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — When classes resume after Labor Day, Amber Lightfeather won’t have to worry about where her children’s next meals will be coming from. Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, and Massachusetts will make school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, following in the footsteps of California and …

Massachusetts joins a small but growing number of states adopting universal free school meals
1 year, 7 months ago

Massachusetts joins a small but growing number of states adopting universal free school meals

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Massachusetts has joined a small but growing number of states adopting universal free school meals programs. About $172 million in permanent funding is also included in the budget to provide universal school meals for public school students in kindergarten through high school. Healey called the school lunch program “an investment in childhood nutrition that’s also removing a source …

Families forced to cut back on school lunches as cost of living drives up food insecurity
1 year, 8 months ago

Families forced to cut back on school lunches as cost of living drives up food insecurity

ABC  

With 10 children, six of them at school, Bendigo mother Tereza Kiss is keeping a close eye on the cost of school lunches. Key points: Organisations are reporting more parents sending their children to school without lunch A regional Victorian mother-of-10 says she has had to cut back on school lunches Foodbank Australia is calling for more funding for school …

Starmer declines to commit to free school meals as he sets out education reforms
1 year, 8 months ago

Starmer declines to commit to free school meals as he sets out education reforms

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

How Pandemic Aid Launched A School Lunch Revolution
1 year, 9 months ago

How Pandemic Aid Launched A School Lunch Revolution

Huff Post  

Students pick up lunch at the Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School in Essex Junction, Vermont, on June 9, 2022. via Associated Press Before he went to Congress, which was before he became Minnesota’s 41st governor, Tim Walz was a high school social studies teacher and football coach in Mankato, Minnesota, a small city in the state’s south, known as the …

Jewish pupils eating just a bagel for lunch amid kosher crisis, Parliament told
1 year, 10 months ago

Jewish pupils eating just a bagel for lunch amid kosher crisis, Parliament told

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Some Jewish children are surviving on just a bagel for …

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Vermont schools say there should be for kids
2 years ago

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Vermont schools say there should be for kids

NPR  

There's no such thing as a free lunch. toggle caption Ximena Bustillo/NPR "Schools are struggling to get kids certified for free or reduced-price school meals," FitzSimons said. Sponsor Message For the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, a family of four cannot make more than $55,500 a year for reduced-price meals or $39,000 for free meals, according to the federal standards. A …

Free school lunch works — but rightwingers don’t care about outcomes
2 years ago

Free school lunch works — but rightwingers don’t care about outcomes

Raw Story  

“If a child is on the verge of starvation, you must call CPS, not spend hundreds of millions on disproportionately unhealthy lunches, a huge percentage of which are discarded,” conservative pundit Ben Shapiro told California Congressman Ted Lieu on Twitter. There’s a great deal of evidence that free school lunches reduce student hunger and improve children’s health. School lunches have …

Food for thought: Free meals for all New Mexico students
2 years ago

Food for thought: Free meals for all New Mexico students

Associated Press  

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed legislation to provide free school meals to all students regardless of family income, as New Mexico and several other states look to fill the gap left by lapsed federal pandemic-era benefit programs and address the strain to family budgets caused by food prices. About 67% — or 309,000 New Mexico …

“Poverty is a policy choice”: Minnesota kids cheer new law guaranteeing free school lunch for all
2 years ago

“Poverty is a policy choice”: Minnesota kids cheer new law guaranteeing free school lunch for all

Salon  

This article originally appeared at Common Dreams. But 1 in 4 food-insecure kids live in households that don't qualify for the federal free and reduced meal program, leading to "mounting school lunch debts in the tens of thousands of dollars," Minnesota Public Radioreported. "As a former teacher, I know that providing free breakfast and lunch for our students is one …

Massachusetts governor seeks to extend free school meals
2 years ago

Massachusetts governor seeks to extend free school meals

Associated Press  

BOSTON — A pilot program in Massachusetts offering universal school meals would be extended through the end of the 2023-2024 school year as part of a supplemental budget proposal filed Friday by Gov. The move comes as states have grappled with the end of a pandemic-era federal aid program that made school meals available for free to all public school …

Republican Steve Drazkowski votes against free school meals and says ‘hunger is relative’
2 years ago

Republican Steve Drazkowski votes against free school meals and says ‘hunger is relative’

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A GOP senator in Minnesota said that he voted against …

Minnesota Senate backs free school meals for all students
2 years ago

Minnesota Senate backs free school meals for all students

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Lunches and breakfasts would be free to Minnesota students regardless of income under a bill that won approval in the state Senate on Tuesday. “Being hungry makes learning almost impossible,” said Democratic Sen. Heather Gustafson, of Vadnais Heights, the lead author, who is also a teacher. “This is a bill that will ensure every student, K …

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry
2 years ago

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — America’s schools say kids are hungry — just as pandemic-era benefit programs have lapsed. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal money to do it. The neediest kids are …

'It's hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry
2 years ago

'It's hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Congress temporarily made school meals free to all American schoolkids, but since …

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry
2 years ago

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry

LA Times  

Students select their meal during lunch break in the cafeteria at V. H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition in Phoenix on Jan. 31. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal …

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’
2 years ago

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy All children …

Sadiq Khan says children should get free school meals after unveiling £130m London plan
2 years, 1 month ago

Sadiq Khan says children should get free school meals after unveiling £130m London plan

Daily Mail  

Sadiq Khan today unveiled a taxpayer-funded £130million plan to give all London primary schoolchildren free meals - and suggested the scheme should be copied nationwide. Speaking to the BBC this morning Mr Khan sad: 'I am hoping that the lessons from London will show the case unarguably that universal free school meals in primary schools should be a must.' 'Using …

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce
2 years, 1 month ago

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mayor of …

Study hints healthier school lunch can reduce obesity
2 years, 1 month ago

Study hints healthier school lunch can reduce obesity

Associated Press  

A 2010 federal law that boosted nutrition standards for school meals may have begun to help slow the rise in obesity among America’s children — even teenagers who can buy their own snacks, a new study showed. “You have the potential to really impact their excess weight gain over the course of their entire childhood,” said Dr. Aruna Chandran, a …

No more nuggets? School lunch goes farm-to-table — for some
2 years, 2 months ago

No more nuggets? School lunch goes farm-to-table — for some

Associated Press  

CONCORD, Calif. — As the fine-dining chef at a suburban high school gave samples of his newest recipes, junior Anahi Nava Flores critiqued a baguette sandwich with Toscano salami, organic Monterey Jack, arugula and a scratch-made basil spread: “This pesto aioli is good!” Classmate Kentaro Turner devoured a deli-style pastrami melt on sourdough and moved on to free-range chicken simmered …

No more nuggets? School lunch goes farm-to-table — for some
2 years, 2 months ago

No more nuggets? School lunch goes farm-to-table — for some

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Financially, we are dying right now,” said Patti Bilbrey, …

Jamie Oliver calls for ‘great value’ expansion of free school meals
2 years, 3 months ago

Jamie Oliver calls for ‘great value’ expansion of free school meals

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jamie Oliver has called on Rishi Sunak’s government to extend free …

Scrapping tax cut for banks could feed 1.9 million children, Rishi Sunak told
2 years, 3 months ago

Scrapping tax cut for banks could feed 1.9 million children, Rishi Sunak told

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If Rishi Sunak’s government were to ditch the tax cuts …

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals
2 years, 3 months ago

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals

Associated Press  

BIRMINGHAM, England — As the school bell rings, dozens of children begin filing into the canteen at Hillstone Primary School. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Food Foundation and soccer star Marcus Rashford persuaded Britain’s government to provide free meals to children in poverty over the school holidays. The Department of Education said the government understands …

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals
2 years, 3 months ago

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, …

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain
2 years, 3 months ago

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Some 52 per cent of heads …

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