Are free school dinners the way forward?
JS: It’s very controversial. I’m not speaking on behalf of the School Food Trust but my personal feeling is that by giving free school meals it’s actually very cost-effective. It’s a bit like giving child benefit. It’s very cheap to administer, it normalises it and it means that those heads that don’t have to deal with the issue suddenly have to because the teacher round the corner is. It forces people to think: how do we get all the children in and out, and how can we ensure the food is hot and fresh? If you know that you can train catering staff and you can have meaningful relationships with suppliers it’s much easier when you’ve got the economy of scale and numbers. I know there will be a cost implication. But we don’t say that for hospitals. Also, given that we know that children don’t eat enough fruit and veg on a daily basis it would be the simplest way. The Child Poverty Action Group are running a campaign for it this election. LS: How important is real food education – farm vis
