Should all schoolchildren get free school meals?

[Shortie]

In the UK, if you have children you either have to pay for their school meals if you work and receive a certain amount but if you don't make a lot and have a low income, you are eligible for your child to have free school meals at school.

With the rising inflation and the cost of living being the way it is, even those who are on a high income and not classed as being on a low income seem to be struggling to pay for their children to get a meal at school. This can leave some children without eating at school due to that.

I myself believe that if a child has to be in school by law, they should have their meals paid for and should receive them without any extra cost to the parent no matter their income.

What are your thoughts on free school meals? Do you believe they should be free for all children and government funded for all no matter the parent's income?

 

[Heatman]

The way it's done here in my country is if you want your kids meal to be provided for by the school, you're definitely going to pay for it in his or her tuition fees. No one gives you anything for free in my country. It's why I get so impressed by the laws in developed countries like UK and the rest. But it's actually the right thing to do when it comes to providing kids with free meals.

 

[Shortie]

The way it's done here in my country is if you want your kids meal to be provided for by the school, you're definitely going to pay for it in his or her tuition fees. No one gives you anything for free in my country. It's why I get so impressed by the laws in developed countries like UK and the rest. But it's actually the right thing to do when it comes to providing kids with free meals.

Yeah over here schools are funded by the government and are free to everyone and that helps ensure every child gets an education and doesn't get left behind which would very much be the case if there were tuition fees here.

In some cases and especially at the moment, some children have gone without any food or the teachers have instead paid for a meal for a child out of their own pocket just so they ate and that is not because the parents refused to give them money for it but because they simply could not afford it with the rising costs and it's awful. If kids have to be in school 5 days a week for 6 hours a day then I say they should fund meals for them as well.