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Free school meals...

They had a whole vote on free school meals... like what was the need?

I know many people who have been on free school meals since they were in reception.

This country sometimes disgusts me...

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Some kids live in low income environments and their parents sometimes can't provide for them. How does that disgust you? I think its awesome they do that.
Original post by sunny.side.up
Some kids live in low income environments and their parents sometimes can't provide for them. How does that disgust you? I think its awesome they do that.


Because it’s the parents’ responsibility to provide for their children
Reply 3
Avatar for ed98
ed98
19
I don’t care if it’s controversial but if a parent can’t afford to feed their child they shouldn’t have children.
Original post by Anonymous
They had a whole vote on free school meals... like what was the need?

I know many people who have been on free school meals since they were in reception.

This country sometimes disgusts me...


Have the courage of your convictions and stop hiding behind anonymous.
Original post by ed98
I don’t care if it’s controversial but if a parent can’t afford to feed their child they shouldn’t have children.

What happens if they could afford it at the time then they lost their job, became ill or the business went bankrupt?
Should they hand the children back?
Have you ever you considered that a parent's financial situation may change from when the child was conceived/ birthed to when said child enters school? Life is not static, people's circumstances change and sometimes it can be for the worse unfortunately.
Original post by Anonymous
They had a whole vote on free school meals... like what was the need?

I know many people who have been on free school meals since they were in reception.

This country sometimes disgusts me...

Who had a vote?

Original post by ed98
I don’t care if it’s controversial but if a parent can’t afford to feed their child they shouldn’t have children.

I agree with this. However, I also think it is not fair for children who are already alive to suffer and go hungry because their parents can't feed them. Plus some people make the decision to have children when they are financially stable and then lose their jobs or can't work for whatever reason.
Original post by 999tigger
What happens if they could afford it at the time then they lost their job, became ill or the business went bankrupt?
Should they hand the children back?

Hand them back where? Their uterus? lol
Original post by Anonymous
Because it’s the parents’ responsibility to provide for their children


And what if they can't? Some parents have physical or mental problems and can't work or doing things others can do.
Original post by sunny.side.up
And what if they can't? Some parents have physical or mental problems and can't work or doing things others can do.

EXACTLY
they may become ill, who is gonna feed em then
people are conveniently forgetting that the poor already get welfare benefits, so there is no need to give free meals even in half terms.

in any case, how is this virtue signalling-driven policy to be enacted? are schools going to deliver meals by Royal Mail or UPS?
Original post by sunny.side.up
And what if they can't? Some parents have physical or mental problems and can't work or doing things others can do.


But it’s not the school’s responsibility to feed them out of term time.

There are food banks and other sections of society providing food, there’s no need for schools too
Original post by black tea
Hand them back where? Their uterus? lol


Quite, just ask @ed98 they have the answer.
72% of children living in poverty in this country are in working households.

Perhaps people actually being paid a decent wage would be a good place to start.
Reply 15
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ed98
19
Original post by 999tigger
What happens if they could afford it at the time then they lost their job, became ill or the business went bankrupt?
Should they hand the children back?

There is a generous benefits system for people with children and good food can be made inexpensively.

My point is they are already given a lot by the tax payer as is. The taxpayer shouldn’t have to cough up even more of their hard earned money for other people’s kids.
Original post by A Rolling Stone
people are conveniently forgetting that the poor already get welfare benefits, so there is no need to give free meals even in half terms.

in any case, how is this virtue signalling-driven policy to be enacted? are schools going to deliver meals by Royal Mail or UPS?

Under normal circumstances, the government does not have a free school meal policy during half-term. However, you may have noted that we are not living in normal circumstances at the moment. The pandemic has caused mass havoc to many people's lives, with many more people now applying and waiting for state benefits (namely universal credit) - and because of the large volume of applications, there is obviously going to be a delay in initial payments and other administrative processes. Hence the need for the government to be flexible during these times and consider other options to support the most disadvantaged children.
Original post by Anonymous
But it’s not the school’s responsibility to feed them out of term time.

There are food banks and other sections of society providing food, there’s no need for schools too

Yes, but what if the family can't get to food banks. Regardless none of this is yours or OP's concern. As a kid who grew up in a low income house for most of my childhood, the free school lunch really helped my family when my mom was going through something.
Original post by ed98
There is a generous benefits system for people with children and good food can be made inexpensively.

My point is they are already given a lot by the tax payer as is. The taxpayer shouldn’t have to cough up even more of their hard earned money for other people’s kids.

This is so beyond out of touch with the realities of millions of people in the country.
Reply 19
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ed98
19
Original post by Mesopotamian.
Under normal circumstances, the government does not have a free school meal policy during half-term. However, you may have noted that we are not living in normal circumstances at the moment. The pandemic has caused mass havoc to many people's lives, with many more people now applying and waiting for state benefits (namely universal credit) - and because of the large volume of applications, there is obviously going to be a delay in initial payments and other administrative processes. Hence the need for the government to be flexible during these times and consider other options to support the most disadvantaged children.

If you’re not just virtue signalling and pulling at the heartstrings by crying “starving children” shouldn’t you be arguing also for all adults to be fed by the state as well?

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