The Scottish Government has vowed to pilot free school meals for secondary school pupils following a Sunday Mail campaign.
Teachers, trade unions and opposition politicians have all called for urgent action to combat food poverty as family finances are battered by the cost of living crisis.
Our campaign – demanding a free lunch for every pupil who wants one – has also been backed by Scotland football captain Andy Robertson.
Until now Holyrood has only committed to providing meals in primary schools but a senior minister has confirmed for the first time that they will now trial a scheme for secondary schools.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to funding the expansion of free school lunches to all children in primary and special schools during the course of this parliament. We will also establish a pilot of the provision of free school lunches to secondary school pupils.”
New figures show thousands of children in Scotland have been treated for malnutrition over the past three-and-a-half years.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recorded 3895 admissions to a specialist unit between 2018 and 2022, with the figure nearly doubling from 572 to 1000 in 2021 alone.
The data does not include children treated for malnutrition by GPs, which is where the majority of
at-risk children would be seen.
While the Scottish Government has committed to a pilot of free meals for secondary pupils, no further details of the scheme have been provided. Labour’s Monica Lennon MSP, who has spearheaded demands at Holyrood, said: “Thanks to the campaign led by Scotland’s trade union movement and the Sunday Mail, the Scottish Government has been forced to make rolling out universal free school meals a priority.
“Any progress towards giving secondary school pupils access to free school meals is welcome, but we need to see quicker action from Nicola Sturgeon’s ministers.
“No government that claims to be progressive or compassionate can tolerate child hunger. We must see an urgent implementation timetable from the SNP and Scottish Green administration, including dates for children in Primary 6 and 7 classes and secondary school pupils to have the same rights as those in Primary 1 to 5.
“I’m proud that the campaign spearheaded by the STUC Women’s Committee is gaining widespread support.
“I will continue to use my voice in the Scottish Parliament to make sure access to universal free school meals is delivered.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has so far failed to even deliver on a promise to extend free meals to primary six and seven pupils despite a specific election commitment.
Somerville added: “As the First Minister stated during her statement to parliament on our Programme for Government on September 6, having delivered free school meals for all pupils in primary 1 to 5 we can now announce that we will start work with local authorities to extend universal provision to all pupils in primary 6 and 7.
“This work will be supported by £30million of capital funding during this academic year.”
The EIS union’s general secretary Andrea Bradley has written to the First Minister to say it was now a matter or urgency that older children were given school meals.
Our battle for universal free school meals has the backing of football star Robertson, former SNP health secretary Alex Neil and STUC general secretary Roz Foyer, who has said that children going hungry is a “political choice” which needs action now.
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