Buckie pupils' morning meals petition bears fruit
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NEW free school meal rules could mean less Moray children spending their mornings hungry.
In 2022, Buckie High pupil Lori Lappin handed a petition to Councillor Sonya Warren asking that the Council make free school meals money usable at morning break.
At Wednesday’s (January 25) meeting of Moray Council’s education committee, Councillors unanimously backed the change.
Currently, every pupil signed up for free school meals receives £2.40 through a cashless system after morning break.
At the end of each day the remaining balance is wiped.
This means some pupils who miss breakfast cannot eat until the afternoon.
Under the new system, however, pupils will receive their spending money before morning break.
Reacting, Cllr Warren said: “I welcome this outcome and I thank the officers for the work they have put in.”
However, she also pressed Council officers on why it took almost a year to publish a report, after she first raised the issue.
Head of environmental and commercial services Nicola Moss said the report took so long because they were investigating how other Councils managed their free school meals grants.
Along with the timing of grants, councillors were asked to whether spare cash should be rolled over into subsequent days.
However, councillors rejected this option because making the change would cost money and the system is due to be revamped soon.
Education committee members took turns praising the timing change before voting for it.
Councillor Bridget Mustard, a Conservative, said: “I am very pleased this report has come forward.
“I think it is a good example of responding to young people’s requests.”
Labour group leader Councillor Sandy Keith said: “The paper is a very welcome one and sensible – and one that Cllr Warren has been on the trail of for a while.
“We won’t know whether it will make a difference until we try but it seems a good way forward.
“Let’s hope that we actually make a difference.”
SNP member Councillor Scott Lawrence used the opportunity to congratulate Cllr Warren.
However he also drew attention to pupils’ role in the change.
He said: “This issue was brought to us by young people directly through a petition.
“I think it is important that, today, we have delivered an action for those young people and we can show we are listening to them.
"I congratulate Cllr Warren on her persistence in seeing this through and getting an outcome that will hopefully be acceptable to the pupils who brought it forward in the first place."
The report also shone light on Moray's low level of free school meals uptake.
Across Moray, only 35% of eligible pupils are taking up their entitlement.
Councillor Juli Harris, SNP, quizzed Council officers about the low takeup.
She said: "Are there any measures being taken to increase the uptake of free school meals in Moray's ASGs?
"Elgin Academy only had an uptake of 24 per cent, with Buckie High at 29 per cent."
Ms Moss said work on boosting free school meals was ongoing through surveys and consultations with student and teachers.
She also said the Council's aim was to make school lunches the preferred choice for all pupils.
Documents released ahead of the meeting also highlighted the surging cost of providing school meals, which are subsidised by local Councils.
An average secondary school meal currently costs £6.06 to provide, including food and staffing.
Before Covid, however, the cost per meal was closer to £4.
