The campaign to expand universal free school meals to all young people in Scotland, led by the STUC Women’s Committee.
The STUC Women’s Committee are leading the campaign to expand universal free school meals to all children and young people attending publicly funded schools in Scotland.
We are campaigning for a stigma free, dignified and universally free school meals provision approach that meets the needs of all children and young people’s right to food.
Hunger knows no age boundaries. A universally free school meal approach will help to mitigate poverty, reduce hunger, tackle the long-associated stigma and shame, embed equity, encourage a whole-school community approach to nutrition and meet all children and young people’s right to food, education and fun.
A school meal should form part of the school day for all children and young people irrespective of their school stage and age or financial circumstances. That is why we are calling upon the Scottish Government to expand universal free school meals to all today.
Supporters
“It’s unjust that so many of our public services simply don’t work for people living in poverty. It’s good that councils and the Scottish Government are offering free school meals to more pupils, but too many children are still going without the food they need. Many low-income families don’t yet qualify, and many others don’t claim the free school meals they are entitled to because of shame or stigma. That’s why we support the Food for Thought campaign for universal free school meals for the benefit of all our children and young people.” — Peter Kelly, The Poverty Alliance.
“Universal free school meals are an effective way to reduce food insecurity for all children. They relieve pressure on family finances and provide support in a dignified and non-stigmatising way. Trussell Trust Scotland fully supports the expansion of free school meals to all nursery, primary and secondary pupils”. -Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, The Trussell Trust
-Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, The Trussell Trust
