Free school meals are available to eligible pupils in Wales who attend school full-time. If you receive free school meals, do you feel embarrassed or different to some of your friends? You are not alone if you feel this way. Here, we’ve set out what it’s like for children in Wales who receive school meals and how things could be made better for everyone.
According to figures from Data Cymru, more than one in five children in Wales is now eligible for free schools’ meals– with numbers reaching a high during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Wales has the highest percentage of children in poverty missing out on free schools’ meals in the UK, according to research conducted by Child Poverty Action Group and COVID Realities.
This research found that 44% of all school-aged children in poverty in Wales are not entitled to a free meal at schools due to the eligibility criteria. Therefore, many children are not receiving the nutrition that they need for an adequate standard of living (Article 27 of the UNCRC). The charities concluded that the eligibility criteria for free school meals is restrictive and should be expanded to included everyone on universal credit or equivalent benefits.
This kind of policy is already implemented in England and Scotland in which the Welsh Government receives funding for. However, Wales still uses a means-tested system.
There are numerous different ways in which a pupil pays for the meals depending on the local authority, but many school’s use free school meal vouchers. Although it is important for the pupils to have these meals, ensuring Article 27, the system makes many children feel different to their peers. While in recent years cashless systems have been introduced to try and lessen this stigma, it remains.
A report conducting by the Children’s Commissioner noted that in addition to many not reaching the threshold for free school meals, the take up of these meals is well below where it should be in Wales. The report described how they Commissioner’s office has heard that reasons for many not taking up free school meals included ‘pride’. Through discussions with children in Wales, it was noted that they felt that free school meal tickets were embarrassing.
It is common that those who receive free school meals are teased by other pupils, resulting in many refusing to have the meals. In 2001, Wales Assembly Members found that some children in secondary schools would rather miss lunch than use their meal voucher in front of their friends. Due to this stigma, many Councillors in Wales have stated that they believe all schools meals should be provided for free for all pupils, with the hope that the stigma surrounding them would be removed. This could be done by making room in the councils’ budgets.
If free school means remains means-tested, the stigma behind it will remain, leaving many children feeling different to their peers and being negatively affected. For the stigma to be extinguished, there needs to be a universalist approach to the free school meal system. By shifting the focus away from money, and by making free school meals universal, it will help alleviate any stigma felt by pupils and families who are struggling. It would encourage inclusivity and equality amongst the pupils.
You can read more about child food poverty in Wales on our website here: https://childrenslegalcentre.wales/child-food-poverty/
By Elisa Jenkins, JFF Fellow.
Resources
https://www.data.cymru/covid19/free-school-meals.pdf
https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-12/free-school-meals-case-studies-report.pdf
https://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/universal-free-school-meals-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/more-one-five-pupils-wales-20895136