Lunchtime lock-ins at school call

Nov 15 2007 by William Green, The Journal

FREE hot meals should be introduced universally for schoolchildren under 16 alongside lunchtime “lock-ins” to improve the region’s health, a North-East MP has demanded.

Sharon Hodgson, who represents Gateshead East and Washington West, said good quality school food was key to tackling higher than average rates of obesity, smoking, cancer and heart disease.

Speaking in the Commons, she said: “We hear tales of mums passing pizzas through the school gates, chip shops making record lunchtime profits, and some children causing a mess and a nuisance out on the streets.

“The solution that I propose is straightforward and simple – free, universal, locally sourced, hot school lunches, given to all pupils under the age of 16, coupled with a policy whereby pupils are not allowed off the school site at lunchtime – a lunchtime lock-in, so to speak.”

She added unhealthy packed lunches should be discouraged, while sourcing local produce would cut “food miles” – damaging to the environment – and boost the local economy.

“In my constituency hundreds of children lose out every day, despite the best efforts of my local councils to increase take-up.”

A universal free school meals policy has been working in Sweden and Finland, while closer to home, there are pilots in Scotland and North Tyneside, she said.

She insisted the cost of between £900m and £1.1bn would be outweighed by boosting educational achievement, fighting child poverty and improving health – and represent just 0.2% of Government spending.

Mrs Hodgson also called for a dyslexia specialist in every school with all teachers receiving compulsory training on special educational needs, adding she knew the pressures as the parent of a severely dyslexic son.

She added her son received help and praised the Government’s record on education, but stressed all dyslexic children could be helped and money saved.