'There Is No Finer Investment For Any Community Than Putting Milk Into Babies.'

[sandyRoe]

And food into hungry children.
What are the arguments against free school meals for all?
I remember when I was at school the dinner tickets were colour coded. Green tickets for children whose parents could afford to pay, and grey ones for children who were eligible for free dinners. There were so many grey ticket holders there didn't seem to be any stigma attached to them.
In contrast, a generation later my sister's daughters, who could have had free meals, refused to take them. I'd guess they thought the better off girls at their school would have made fun of them. This added extra expenses for their struggling parents.
Free school meals would mean there's no stigma. What's not to like?

[Redhelen72]

another way round it - would be that those parents that could pay should but the tokens are all the same colour - that way no one would be different.

[sandyRoe]

That may be the way it is now, but it was different then.

[Redhelen72]

Of course and the poverty in NI was especially bad.
I am a great believer though that if you can pay you should and the help should be there for those that can't - but that you should also take responsibilities for your actions (ie having children)

[sandyRoe]

Many years ago there was a harridan who sat on the 'Outdoor Relief Board' in Belfast. When Catholic families, usually with more children, applied for the benefit, she would comment, 'No poverty between the sheets apparently'.
The saying, As cold as charity', could have been based on her.

[naomi24]

Free meals for all? No - but parents of children at a local senior school pay into an account for their children. The children can then choose whatever they want from the menu at lunch time and the cost is deducted from their account each day. I see no reason why an account, funded by the taxpayer, can’t be set up for those who need free school meals. There would be no stigma attached to that because none of the children would know who’s receiving free school meals and who isn’t.

[Redhelen72]

children are mean and they will always find something - if its not free school meals, its clothing or shoes or the fact that one is driving and one is not!

[Tilly2]

Naomi, they'd need an extra dinner lady to do the accounting and it would cause delays in serving the meals.

[naomi24]

I don’t think so, Tilly. Their restaurant runs like a commercial one. Everything is computerised so orders just need to be tapped in and the system does the rest.

[Tilly2]

Then things have changed since I retired, Naomi. :-)

[Khandro]

sandy; //Free school meals would mean there's no stigma. What's not to like?//

Well for a start, poorer taxpayers financing children of parents richer than themselves.

[naomi24]

Quite possibly, Tilly. I think it’s a really good system.

[Redhelen72]

My nieces have a 'bank card' that is loaded weekly through a hole in the wall device but can also be loaded remotely by parents or the school.
If this was available to all then no one would know who was getting free school meals

[sandyRoe]

Khandro,
Isn't it better that a few people who don't need a benefit get it if that ensures none of those who do need it are left out?

[Khandro]

sandy; Surely the problem can be solved by having vouchers, like LV luncheon vouchers, given to the poorer children & paid for by the better off. No one is to know whether they were bought or given?

[sandyRoe]

Luncheon vouchers, or the like, could be stolen by bullies, as dinner money used to be.

[naomi24]

RH, that sounds similar to the system I’m talking about. Excellent idea.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't recall different colour tickets when I went to school. There again I didn't have any interest in looking. And I'm sure there is often a feeling of embarrassment when it's clear one needs help: a human failing among those wanting to contribute rather than accept help, I believe. Had tickets been different colours in my day I'm sure some would have felt embarrassed then. Meanwhile I see no reason to distinguish on the ticket (unless it's thought the free ones are being sold by those issued them to those unentitled, and they want to stop the practice).

[youngmafbog]

No such thing as free dinners at my school.

However, it should be very easy and not expensive to fund the children that should have one without anyone knowing.

[sandyRoe]

Youngmafbog,
I notice your profile picture is an image of the milk snatcher.

[youngmafbog]

Milk was no longer needed, the health, and wealth, of the nation had moved on massively.

Why would you want to supply milk to all, it cost a lot of money you know.