School meals take-up fails to hit government target
Neil Puffett
Friday, July 10, 2009
A government target of increasing school meals take-up by 10 per cent is set to be missed after new figures showed less than four in 10 pupils eat them.
School Food Trust statistics show 39.3 per cent of primary school pupils and 35.1 per cent of secondary school pupils eat school meals.
The figure represents a small rise in take-up of less than one per cent, but a government target of a 10 per cent rise on 2005/06 figures will be missed.
Prue Leith, chair of the School Food Trust, said she was encouraged by the results: "I am heartened that take-up has increased slightly in primary schools following the introduction of new nutrient-based standards and am convinced we are winning the battle for the hearts, minds and tastebuds of children and parents."
Schools minister Diana Johnson said: "Four years ago, the majority of children were eating unhealthy meals at school. Chips, chocolate and sugar-filled fizzy drinks were available every day as a choice for school lunch. Today there is no school where this can now happen - all schools must provide a portion of vegetable and fruit as part of a nutritionally balanced main meal."
