Two-thirds of Moray pupils skipping free school meals
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Moray Council needs to ask secondary school pupils why they are not taking advantage of their free school meal entitlement.
That's the view of Bridget Mustard in the light of figures which show that 65% of the young people eligible for free school meals are not taking up the offer.
That means about 365 secondary pupils are going without their free lunch.
Cllr Mustard (Heldon and Laich, Conservative) chairs the council’s cost of living working group which promotes the uptake of free school meals.
While there has been a slight improvement recently, she feels the numbers are still far too low and is therefore keen for young people to be consulted about why.
Cllr Mustard said: "When young people go to secondary school they get a new found love of freedom, and there’s the draw of the high street.
"Salad is not always the choice when there’s an alternative option of a bag of chips.
"But, even allowing for that, how do you explain such low figures?"
Elgin Academy has the lowest take-up rate for free school lunches at only 24%.
And while the highest rate is at Milne’s High in Fochabers, that figure is just 49%.
Take-up rates at Moray's other schools are: Buckie High 29%; Keith Grammar 31%; Elgin High 33%; Speyside High 37%; Forres Academy 43%; and Lossiemouth 47%.
These figures were collected between October 31 and November 4 last year.
Cllr Mustard said: "We have to go back to the young people and ask them what is preventing them taking their entitlement.
"It’s important to understand why – it’s not for adults to speculate."
Recent figures show Moray secondary school roll stands at 5388, with 561 entitled to free school meals.
The low uptake rate is included in a report going to the education, children’s and leisure committee on Wednesday.
In the report officers recommend that the free school lunch allowance is paid earlier onto pupils’ Young Scot cards each day so they can get some food during morning break.
The issue was raised first in February last year by Buckie High pupils who were concerned that some young people were arriving at school hungry, and this was having an impact on their ability to learn.
