Schools have once more been informed by the federal government to not present free meals or vouchers to needy pupils over half time period, sparking a brand new row over how you can cease kids from going hungry.
The authorities seemed to be setting itself up for one more argument with poverty campaigners and unions on Thursday after the Department for Education informed headteachers they “do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers”.
Instead, recommendation from the Department for Education says a basic pandemic help fund set as much as assist low-income households in the course of the holidays can be ample to cowl mealtime wants.
But the National Education Union mentioned deprived kids may find yourself lacking out as a result of the fund doesn’t supply blanket provision to each pupil who matches a sure definition of poverty in the identical means as free college meals do.
The authorities has already been compelled into various U-turns on free college meal provision after high-profile interventions from footballer Marcus Rashford and stress from the opposition.
This week ministers have been criticised after pictures emerged on social media of “offensively meagre” meals parcels supplied to kids studying from residence.
Boris Johnson condemned the meals, which have been supplied by contractors, as “disgraceful”, however Labour identified that they appeared to match authorities tips on what kids ought to be given.
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“It is simply astonishing that the government has, once again, revealed its total disregard for those hardest hit by the ongoing health pandemic,” said Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, of the latest news about half term.
“After a year in which the stark inequalities faced by millions of children and young people has been at the forefront of the minds of the public, the ugly spectre of holiday hunger is now looming yet again.”
The advice to schools published by the Department for Education says: “Schools don’t want to supply lunch parcels or vouchers in the course of the February half time period.
“There is wider government support in place to support families and children outside of term-time through the Covid winter grant scheme.”
The £170m Covid winter grant fund was arrange in early December and goals to help these most in want throughout England with prices associated to meals, power, water payments and different necessities.
It is distributed to households by means of county councils and unitary authorities. The Department for Work and Pensions says that the scheme ought to “provide support to a broad cross section of vulnerable households in their area”.
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It was set as much as “give vulnerable households peace of mind in the run up to Christmas and over the winter months during the pandemic by helping those who need it to have food on the table and other essentials, so every child will be warm and well fed this winter”.
While funds are largely made on the discretion of councils, round 80 per cent of the fund is earmarked for “food and essential utility costs”.
Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s shadow apprenticeships and lifelong studying minister, mentioned: “Time and time again this government has had to be shamed into providing food for hungry children over school holidays.
“Stopping free school meals support over half-term will be devastating for many families who are living on the breadline in this pandemic.”
Rashford has announced that his organisation, End Child Food Poverty, will be highlighting the support local authorities are providing over the February half term by mapping out different schemes.
Announcing the plans on Twitter, he mentioned: “We will be mapping out the support of local authorities at endchildfoodpoverty.org and I encourage all local authorities to share schemes as soon as they are finalised so we can direct those most in need.
“At the end of last year we faced the issue of local authorities having run out of funds to support the most vulnerable. This needs to be flagged immediately if that is the case this time around.”
Rashford’s tweets were in reply to a notice by the Department for Education which said that the government was supporting “families and children with meals during February half term with the Covid winter grant scheme”.
The scheme, which has been met with criticism from lecturers’ unions and council leaders, will imply meals will likely be supplied by councils as a part of the broader scheme, not by means of vouchers as throughout time period time.