Unison dismayed by further increase to school meal price

The Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill requires that the 90,000 children in Northern Ireland in receipt of free schools meals receive financial help during the holidays, including summer, Christmas, Halloween and half-term breaks.

placeholder image — The Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill requires that the 90,000 children in Northern Ireland in receipt of free schools meals receive financial help during the holidays, including summer, Christmas, Halloween and half-term breaks.

UNISON has criticised the Education Authority's plans to increase the price of school meals for the second year running, saying it is 'intolerable and undeliverable'. The union is campaigning for universal free school meals for all children.

UNISON is dismayed by today’s announcement from the Education Authority (EA) that it intends to take forward a number of saving measures this month including increasing the price of paid school meals for the second year running. The planned increase will take the price of a primary or special school meal to £3.40 and will see cafeteria prices in secondary schools rise by 15%.

Commenting on the EA announcement, UNISON Regional Organiser Joe McCusker said:

‘‘UNISON, alongside other education support service unions, has criticised the EA’s plans which we consider to be intolerable and undeliverable.

We are particularly concerned about the price increase for school meals and the impact on families who do not meet the narrow criteria for free school meals, but who struggle to cover the cost of the school day. Research by the NI Commissioner for Children and Young People shows that 41% of children in poverty are not eligible for a free school meal. Those children are most at risk of losing access to a nutritious, hot meal in school when the price goes up.

As a union, we have been campaigning for many years for the introduction of universal free school meals for all children, and Northern Ireland is now the only part of the UK with no universal school meal policy in place. Instead, families here are forced to take on even higher costs to feed their children while in school.

Commenting further, UNISON Head of Bargaining and Representation John Patrick Clayton said:

‘‘The unacceptable funding position that our education services are in has once again been highlighted by today’s announcement from the EA.

The EA, the Department of Education and the NI Executive all have responsibilities to ensure that every child has equal access to their right to an education. This includes ensuring education services are adequately funded to remove barriers like the cost of food, transport and equipment.

This savings plan also comes at a time when our members in education support services are being denied the pay rise to which they are legally entitled and our teaching colleagues are in dispute over workload. NI urgently needs a budget settlement that can sustain our public services and put right the damage caused by years of underfunding. Families should not be expected to bear the brunt of political failure. The EA must urgently reconsider these proposals.’’