School Dinners in the UK.Jackie Schneider

Children’s Food Campaign

The history of school dinners

• Concerns over the poor physical condition of recruits during the Boer war

• Led to royal commission on Physical Deterioration

• Education Act of 1906 gave all LEA’s the power to provide free meals for children who needed them

1944 Butler Act

• Laid a duty on all primary and secondary schools to provide school meals and milk

• Specified the price of the meal could not exceed cost of ingredients

• Established that the lunch had to be suitable as main meal of the day

• Introduced nutritional standards

1980 Education Act

• Removed obligations on LEA’s to provide school lunches, (except FSM)

• Removed obligation for meals to be sold at fixed price

• Eliminated requirement for the lunches to meet nutritional standards

• Changed entitlement to free school lunches

Terrible deterioration in standards and uptake

Jamie Oliver – “ feed me better” campaign.

Government established

To:•Ensure all schools meet the food based and nutrient based standards for lunch and non-lunch food•Increase the take-up of school meals.•Reduce diet-related inequalities in childhood through food education and school based initiatives.•Improve food skills through food education, and school and community initiatives.

Introduction of mandatory school food standards

Out goes• Crisps• Confectionery• Sweetened drinks• Mechanically recovered

meats

In comes• Limits on amount of fried

foods• Fish every 3 weeks• Fresh fruit• Vegetables• Salads

New government

• The health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has questioned whether Jamie Oliver’s improvements have failed

• Waiting for education minister to announce plans

• October spending review will be key

Poor food culture

• One in four British households no longer has a table to eat around

• One out of every three Britons say they do not eat vegetables because they require too much effort to prepare

• Britain eats over half of all the crisps eaten in Europe and more ready meals than the rest of Europe put together

“Bad food Britain” by Joanna Blythman

New improved lunches!

Free school meals for all?

• Key to improving children’s eating habits• Reduces health inequalities and helps low

income families• Removes the poverty trap• Supports the rural economy• Backed by medical bodies, unions, parent

groups and health campaigners

Thank you!