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The Education Authority's announcement it was going to increase the price of school meals by 20% has been criticised by political parties in Derry.
Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) said the increase will leave families "struggling to feed their children".
“It is absolutely outrageous and unacceptable that school dinners are being hiked by a staggering 20%," said Cllr Harkin.
"At a time when families are already struggling with the rising cost of living, this new charge is a slap in the face to hardworking parents and guardians who rely on affordable school meals to feed their children," he added.
"School dinners are not a luxury—they are a necessity. Many children depend on these meals for their daily nutrition, and pushing prices up so drastically risks forcing families to make impossible choices between feeding their kids and paying other essential bills.
"A family with three children in secondary school after these changes will have to pay in excess of fifty pounds to provide a warm meal at school for their children.
"Children need the best possible start in life educationally and nutritionally. This is why People Before Profit has long advocated for universal free school meals. The Department of Education concluded in their own public consultation report last year that there is widespread support for "a significant expansion of access to free schoolmeals", and that it should be a priority for the Department.
"What is more, every part of these islands is currently implementing policies that expand free school meal provision because it is good policy. The Minister for Education once again flies in the face of progress. The Education Authority and the disgraced Minister for Education need to think again and cancel this shameful price hike."
Aontú Deputy Leader and teacher, Gemma Brolly, said the Education Authority was attempting to make up to £30m in ‘savings’ to fill a black hole in its funding.
She added: "The Education Authority has been disengaged from those on the ground now for some time, with the potential for a unitary authority being more efficient and providing better services for all in education now a long-forgotten anecdote.
"Political mismanagement and a failure to step up and fix longstanding problems have haunted it for years, and now we have the situation where Stormont won’t step in with funding that is leading to cuts to services.
"The proposals from the EA today to cut taxi transport provision, increase the cost of school meals, charging for the Music Service and suspending referrals to external EOTAS services alongside cutting corporate agency contracts and overtime are disgraceful and must be resisted at all costs."
