Anna B   1,401 #1 Posted May 18, 2017 Theresa May has announced free school dinners are to be means tested.  Instead she is offering all Primary school childre is offering free breakfast.  I'm guessing that this breakfast will probably be cereal and milk, so not that expensive  But  Say schools will have to open at 8.0am. Whoever has to be there to organise and supervise it will probably have to be there from 7 or 7.30 to prepare, and won't be able to leave till the washing up is done, 9.30 or 10.0pm. If it's available to all that is a full school population of minimum 100 usually 250 -300 children served in an hour so a lot of dinner ladies required. This is going to cost more than school dinners ever did, and it's going to need even more funding.  Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through?  And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
El Cid   210 #2 Posted May 18, 2017 Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through? And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home?  They may eat Frosties and CoCo Pops, Weetabix they might say no.  Maybe they will get a private company in, a Big Mac for 99p? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
melthebell   862 #3 Posted May 18, 2017 And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home? because people wont be able to afford to with the rest of her manifesto? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Robin-H   11 #4 Posted May 18, 2017 Theresa May has announced free school dinners are to be means tested.  Instead she is offering all Primary school childre is offering free breakfast.  I'm guessing that this breakfast will probably be cereal and milk, so not that expensive  But  Say schools will have to open at 8.0am. Whoever has to be there to organise and supervise it will probably have to be there from 7 or 7.30 to prepare, and won't be able to leave till the washing up is done, 9.30 or 10.0pm. If it's available to all that is a full school population of minimum 100 usually 250 -300 children served in an hour so a lot of dinner ladies required. This is going to cost more than school dinners ever did, and it's going to need even more funding.  Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through?  And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home?  The cost of this pledge is worked out to cost a tenth of the current cost of providing free school lunches - as you rightly say it is much cheaper to provide breakfasts than lunches.  It seems to be a more logical and efficient way of spending money. Not only does it free up money for the overall school's budget (meaning that no school will now lose out from the new funding formula in cash terms) but providing breakfasts for free has been proven to improve results, attainment and attendance in ways that lunches didn't.  I of course believe it is important that children from low income families receive free lunches, as they used to and will continue to do so, but I am not sure what the benefit of providing free lunches to children whose parents can well afford it is?  To answer your questions regarding the costs of the staff needed - the vast majority of schools already run breakfast clubs. A report by Kellogg's in 2014 found that 85% of the schools in England ran breakfast clubs (in Scotland it was 72%, in Wales it was as 96%). It is therefore not the case that the schools will need to pay staff extra to open earlier or hire more dinner ladies (or men) etc, as the vast majority of schools already do so.  Schools said however that the biggest single challenge in running these breakfast clubs was funding, and so I think it is good that the government plans to address this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Waldo   96 #5 Posted May 18, 2017 I wish people would stop saying 'free' this and that; nothing is free (well, apart from air), someone somewhere somehow is paying for it.  Also...  Wish they'd stop saying we're 'asking' people earning over a certain amount to pay more income tax; no you're not. A more accurate description would be that you're demanding it, under threat of imprisonment or financial penalty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Robin-H Â Â 11 #6 Posted May 18, 2017 because people wont be able to afford to with the rest of her manifesto? Â Care to explain how the Conservative manifesto will make people unable to afford cereal? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
crookedspire   10 #7 Posted May 18, 2017 Theresa May has announced free school dinners are to be means tested.  Instead she is offering all Primary school childre is offering free breakfast.  I'm guessing that this breakfast will probably be cereal and milk, so not that expensive  But  Say schools will have to open at 8.0am. Whoever has to be there to organise and supervise it will probably have to be there from 7 or 7.30 to prepare, and won't be able to leave till the washing up is done, 9.30 or 10.0pm. If it's available to all that is a full school population of minimum 100 usually 250 -300 children served in an hour so a lot of dinner ladies required. This is going to cost more than school dinners ever did, and it's going to need even more funding.  Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through?  And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home?   Now this could be just be me but didn't Corbyn announced this idea weeks before, anyone noticed their seems to be a lot of copying​ from the May camp going on? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Mister M   1,596 #8 Posted May 18, 2017 (edited) Theresa May has announced free school dinners are to be means tested.  Instead she is offering all Primary school childre is offering free breakfast.  I'm guessing that this breakfast will probably be cereal and milk, so not that expensive  But  Say schools will have to open at 8.0am. Whoever has to be there to organise and supervise it will probably have to be there from 7 or 7.30 to prepare, and won't be able to leave till the washing up is done, 9.30 or 10.0pm. If it's available to all that is a full school population of minimum 100 usually 250 -300 children served in an hour so a lot of dinner ladies required. This is going to cost more than school dinners ever did, and it's going to need even more funding.  Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through?  And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home?  There's a very good joke in there somewhere. Edited May 18, 2017 by Mister M Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
melthebell   862 #9 Posted May 18, 2017 Care to explain how the Conservative manifesto will make people unable to afford cereal? use yer brain Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Robin-H   11 #10 Posted May 18, 2017 use yer brain  I have, which is why I am struggling to think of a reason why the Conservative manifesto would make people unable to afford cereal, which is why I asked you (as you posited it). Unless you can point to how you came to this conclusion, I'll assume it was baseless rhetoric. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
I1L2T3   10 #11 Posted May 18, 2017 They may eat Frosties and CoCo Pops, Weetabix they might say no. Maybe they will get a private company in, a Big Mac for 99p?  Or maybe a celebrity chef  What could be better than hard boiled quails eggs and smoked salmon, and freshly made pancakes served with a mixed berry compote. Served with a glass of prosecco.  Our children deserve the best Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Danny_Boy   10 #12 Posted May 18, 2017 Theresa May has announced free school dinners are to be means tested.  Instead she is offering all Primary school childre is offering free breakfast.  I'm guessing that this breakfast will probably be cereal and milk, so not that expensive  But  Say schools will have to open at 8.0am. Whoever has to be there to organise and supervise it will probably have to be there from 7 or 7.30 to prepare, and won't be able to leave till the washing up is done, 9.30 or 10.0pm. If it's available to all that is a full school population of minimum 100 usually 250 -300 children served in an hour so a lot of dinner ladies required. This is going to cost more than school dinners ever did, and it's going to need even more funding.  Has anybody in the Conservative party actually thought this through?  And can anybody tell me why the kids can't have a bowl of cereal at home?  Bet if this was Corbyn's idea you'd be telling us all what a great idea it is Anna. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...