All primary pupils in Wales will be offered free school meals in Wales from the start of term next week. The Welsh Government has confirmed that all 22 local education authorities are either already providing, or ready to offer, free school meals for their pupils Universal free school meals for primary school-aged children in Wales started with the youngest pupils in September, 2022. Some councils made the offer well ahead of the target date of September, 2024. All primary school children and more than 6,000 nursery-age pupils attending a maintained school will be eligible for the free school meals.
The introduction of universal free school meals for this age group was part of the now ditched Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru. Join our WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone. Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Aldi shoppers warned about milk price rises ‘this year’. Teachers and other education staff banned and disciplined last term in Wales Councils have spent millions of pounds upgrading school kitchens to serve tens of thousands of meals across primaries.
But not everyone is happy. The official tasked with championing children’s rights says pupils have told her that free school meal portions aren’t big enough and fruit and vegetables aren’t always available. In a survey earlier this year Children’s Commissioner Rocio Cifuentes said hundreds of children aged seven to 18 across Wales found the most common complaint was that portions were too small. With the cost-of-living crisis continuing, many children rely on school lunch as their most important, or only meal of the day, poverty and children’s campaigners have warned.
Teachers have also long warned that increasing numbers of children are coming to school hungry and cannot concentrate in lessons. There is also concern among secondary school leaders that the offer of free school meals has not been extended to older children. Some schools, including Monmouth High and St Martin’s School in Caerphilly, have funded their own free breakfasts before lessons start. Swansea Council stressed the importance of food for the least well off children and announced that more than £4m has been invested in improving and equipping school kitchens in the city.
The city’s cabinet member for education, Robert Smith, highlighted the significance of the Free School Meal pledge in light of the cost-of-living crisis, expressing gratitude to the Welsh Government for funding that enables the program. Families do not need to apply for the school meal offer as they will be automatically enrolled at their school. Low-income families can also apply for the Schools Essentials Grant to help with costs for school uniforms, equipment, and activities. A Welsh government spokesperson confirmed, “All primary school pupils will have access to a free school meal from the start of term.â€