NEARLY 1000 extra primary pupils are to receive free school meals in Dumfries and Galloway within the next six months.
This comes after Dumfries and Galloway Council received an additional £427,000 to expand the free school meals drive to youngsters in P6 and P7.
The Universal Free School Meals programme was first made available nearly ten years ago to P1-P3 pupils only, and kids in P4 and P5 were included between 2021 and 2022.
Now, free school meals will be served up to pupils in P6 and P7 – however this is targeted at the poorest children who receive the Scottish Child Payment (SCP).
A report on the expansion of free school meals, which is due to be tabled at the council’s education committee on Thursday, reads: “A sum of £427,000 has been received to support the increased numbers of children eligible for Scottish Child Payment in P6 and P7 from February 2025.
“It is suggested that this model will accommodate 28,456 pupils nationally, with 956 children potentially in Dumfries and Galloway benefiting from this funding.
“With current and continued investments, facilities services will be ready to provide meals to all entitled children in line with the current Scottish Government policy timelines from February 2025.”
The fact that nearly 1000 extra pupils should be receiving free school meals six months from now will be welcomed, however there has been some controversy around broken promises.
The SNP vowed to deliver free lunches for every primary school pupil all year round in their 2021 Holyrood manifesto.
This meant rolling out a policy already in place for younger pupils to every child in primary six and seven – not just those whose parents receive the Scottish Child Payment benefit.
The Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland called for all pupils to be included – “not just those in receipt of SCP” – in this cost of living crisis.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland has the most comprehensive free school meal offer of any nation in the UK, saving families £400 per eligible child per year, and ministers are determined to build on this progress to fulfil the Scottish Government’s commitment to universal provision in primary schools.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council has also received £1.914m in funding so far from the Scottish Government to assist with substantial £7.177m capital costs to upgrade school kitchens and dining rooms across the region to cope with the additional demand.
Council papers state: “To date, the allocated funding has helped enhance 34 school kitchens with a further 14 planned by the end of October 2024.
“Further works are being planned and these will be finalised when future capital funding is confirmed relating to the final expansion of universal free school meals.”
