Jul 15th, 2013
GOVE: FREE SCHOOL MEALS
By lindsayriddoch
It’s working. We’ve just heard that there’s been a big step forward in our campaign to make sure children living in poverty get free school meals. On Thursday the government’s own advisors have come out and said that too many children are going hungry and that this should change.
Education secretary Michael Gove promised to ‘investigate’ and says he agrees in principle. But we need action now. The school year is nearly over, but with changes to the benefits system coming in the autumn, families are worried their children will go hungry.
After Thursday’s report, Gove is already feeling the pressure. And the good news is that he’s committed to do something. So let’s email Gove in our thousands now to make sure he acts quickly – before it’s too late.
It doesn’t take an education expert to know that when children are hungry, their concentration lapses and learning becomes much harder. We know that the choices we make about free school meals today could affect children’s exam results and job choices for years to come.
Gove is already in a difficult place. It’s not just his own advisors on our side, but 91% of the British public think widening access to free school dinners is a good idea.
And we know that when enough of us speak up, Gove is forced to respond. Just last week, it was announced that climate change will be kept in the curriculum after 6000 of us wrote into a consultation pressuring Michael Gove.
Alongside the Children’s Society, we’ve been part of making sure this is a priority for the government. In February, 50,000 38 Degrees members signed a petition asking David Cameron to introduce free school meals for children. We’ve campaigned hard to get this issue on their radar, and it’s worked so far. What’s needed now is some real action.
Emailing Gove has worked before. Now please take two minutes to ask him to open up free school meals to all families that need them.
