A Government scheme that provides hot meals to schools is not sustainable, with concerns raised around procurement processes, food quality and the amount of packaging waste involved, an Oireachtas committee is due to hear.
The Hot School Meal programme has been rolled out to all primary schools since September of last year, with approximately 3,700 schools and organisations and some 682,000 children eligible to benefit from the initiative, reports RTE.
However, the multi-denominational schools’ organisation Educate Together says the current approach cannot be maintained in the long term.
Its CEO, Dr Emer Nowlan, will appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth, where she will outline the difficulties schools are experiencing in delivering the programme, reports RTE.
She is expected to say that while the policy intent is welcome, there are serious flaws in how it is being implemented.
In her opening statement, Dr Nowlan will say: “The benefits of this scheme are real and should not be understated. For some children, this is the only hot meal they receive in a day, and the scheme promotes equity and dignity through universal access, reports RTE.
“However, the clear message from school management is that the current model is not sustainable,” reports RTE.
Dr Nowlan will say the “most serious challenge” relates to the administrative and procurement “burden” placed on schools.
She will explain that in almost three-quarters of Educate Together schools, principals are required to manage procurement themselves, a process that can take several days spread over a number of weeks, reports RTE.
She will say this work is being carried out without the necessary staffing, expertise or resources to ensure it is done safely and in a sustainable way.
Dr Nowlan will also raise concerns about food quality and whether meals are suitable for children with allergies or restrictive diets, noting that menu fatigue or dissatisfaction has prompted some families to opt out of the scheme, reports RTE.
Another “major” difficulty for Educate Together schools is the handling of food and packaging waste, which Dr Nowlan says is creating environmental issues as well as extra costs.
Deirdre Matthews, General Secretary of the Joint Managerial Body, which represents 379 voluntary secondary schools, will call for a review of the access criteria for the programme at post-primary level, reports RTE.
The Hot School Meals programme is currently not available to post-primary schools.
Ms Matthews will tell the committee that eligibility should be based on student need rather than school designation alone, reports RTE.
The previous government pledged to ensure every school-going child would receive a free hot meal by 2030.
Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, will urge that the scheme be extended before that deadline, saying that “food poverty doesn’t cease when children turn 12”, reports RTE.
He is expected to say: “Yet the current structure abandons students precisely when their caloric requirements grow and their capacity to concentrate through long academic days becomes paramount, reports RTE.
“Adolescents’ nutritional needs increase significantly during this developmental stage,” reports RTE.
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