Free dinners will help podgy pupils

MORE than 20,000 primary school pupils in Oldham could get healthy free school meals, under plans unveiled by the Government.

The move is part of a £20 million drive to cut obesity and get young people eating more healthily, Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced yesterday.

Local councils are being asked to bid to be one of two pilot schemes which will look at the health benefits of free school meals.

It will investigate whether free school meals reduce obesity and have an impact on a child’s body mass index. It will also look at eating habits at home, impact on behaviour and academic performance and general health and well-being.

England’s national trial scheme would start in a year’s time and run for two years, with a “rigorous evaluation”, according to ministers.

Mr Johnson said: “It’s part of the obesity strategy. Early intervention is essential. Getting the children to eat healthy from a young age means they develop the habit and carry those healthy food messages back into the home as well.

“For many children from poorer backgrounds, a school lunch is their only hot and healthy meal of the day so we need to investigate how we increase uptake.

“This isn’t just about making sure primary school children have a healthy meal today — it’s about getting them into a habit of healthy eating for the rest of their lives and about changing the health of a generation.”

Government will spend £20 million and expect the areas to match pound by pound funding from councils and primary care trusts, bringing the total to £40 million.

Obesity alone causes 9,000 people to die prematurely every year. It costs the NHS £4.2 billion and the economy £16 billion per year.

There are 20,997 primary school pupils across Oldham, of which 4,690 are entitled to free schools meals, although not everyone may take them up.

Tories dismissed the announcement as spin and merely a pilot test.

Shadow children’s secretary Michael Gove said: “Parents everywhere are feeling the pinch and we do need to improve school meal provision.

“But Ed Balls’ promise of free school meals is just spin — he refuses to commit the money to pay for it.”

But Children’s Food Campaign co-ordinator Richard Watts said: “Where this idea has been tried across the UK it has really benefited children.

“As long as the quality of the meals is not sacrificed to cut costs, universal free school meals is a relatively cheap way of significantly improving our children’s health.”

Oldham Council Cabinet member for children, young people and families, Councillor Kay Knox, said: “We see this announcement as a positive step and welcome any initiative that encourages children to stay for a school meal.

“Some families do find the cost of school meals unaffordable especially if they have more than one child.”