Rolling back on free school meals would ‘betray’ children, Yousaf warned

Humza Yousaf is being urged to recommit to rolling out free school meals to all youngsters across Scotland, as the First Minister said “targeting help” might be needed to assist those most in need.

His comments came at the end of an anti-poverty summit he chaired in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The Scottish Government has previously committed, but has not yet delivered, free school lunches for older primary school pupils as well as a pilot for secondary school students, but Mr Yousaf appeared to question the universal provision of free schools meals.

He told the Daily Record: “I’ve got a 14-year-old now. Should people be paying for her free school meals when I earn a First Minister’s salary?

“I don’t think that’s the right way to use that money. A better way is to target those that need it absolutely the most.”

But the Educational Institute of Scotland has hit out at the suggestion the policy of universal free school meals could be abandoned.

General secretary Andrea Bradley made clear: “Reneging on a commitment to free school meals would be a massive and profoundly damaging mistake which would betray young people living in poverty across Scotland, and would be a particularly hard blow to families with school-aged children as they continue the hard struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.”

Labour MSP Monica Lennon said Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth had given a “welcome commitment on the further rollout of universal free school meals” to Holyrood last week.

Ms Lennon tweeted: “Poverty doesn’t end at the primary school gates; Humza needs to hold his nerve and continue the rollout.”

The comments came as Mr Yousaf spoke about “targeting help” after Wednesday’s summit – also hinting there could be future tax rises for higher earners to help boost support for low-income Scots.

Mr Yousaf said: “We must be bold in considering future tax decisions. Tough choices will need to be made about existing budgets, and we need to consider whether targeting help is the way forward when money is so tight.”

The First Minister said he had called the summit, which brought together anti-poverty campaigners, academics and people “at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis and with direct experience of poverty”, so the Government could consider what more needs to be done.

Mr Yousaf said: “Everything I heard confirmed that poverty and the cost-of-living crisis is the biggest challenge facing this country – one that has been exacerbated by some of the UK Government’s actions and inactions.

“We have already acted to tackle the pressure on those most in need – for example, our game-changing £25 per week, per child Scottish Child Payment, Carer’s Allowance Supplement, and Winter Heating Payment. But we must do more.”

The EIS said it is “deeply concerned” about whether the First Minister is now “suggesting a roll-back on the Scottish Government’s commitment to the delivery of free school meals for all young people”.

Ms Bradley said: “The First Minister seems to suggest that means-testing provision of free school meals is a preferable option, primarily for financial reasons.

“But that is misunderstanding the problem entirely. A key principle of universal provision of free school meals for all young people is about removing the stigma of free entitlement, to ensure that the young people who need free meals the most feel completely comfortable in accepting them.

“Means-testing will always mean, as it does now, that too many young people will miss out on access to healthy, nutritional food at school.

“Sadly, for tens and tens of thousands of young people in Scotland, this is their one chance in the day to eat well whilst food cupboards at home are bare.

“A universal free school meals system is the best option for young people, their health and wellbeing and their educational chances.

“The First Minister must now rethink his comments, and recommit the Scottish Government to delivering the continuing expansion of free school meals provision in line with the promise made to the electorate in the last Scottish parliamentary election manifesto.”