This was being discussed in the thread about Margaret Thatcher, but it's a side issue and one that's still relevant today,
At secondary school, the experience was very different. Those on free meals had to queue to collect a ticket from the office prior to heading to the canteen and having to queue again; inevitably, they'd always end up at the end of the canteen queue and food choices were often limited by the time they got to the counter. Then there was the embarrassment of being told that the dinner ticket doesn't cover this and that, both on the part of the student and the staff at the till. I wasn't in receipt of free meals, but a few of my friends were and I would wait with them; it all seemed so horribly unfair that they were constantly having to put up with second choices.
So yes, I'd argue that free meals should be universal. Kids don't function properly when they're hungry and the very least we can do is put them on an equal footing.
Making it (milk) free for everyone removes the process of deciding who should receive it - it's not always clear cut.. You also reduce the stigma for those who are in receipt of free milk.
I actually believe that we should have free school meals for everyone.Should we make school meals free for everyone too as we wouldn’t want anyone to have stigma?
Were you one of the kids who had to shout "ticket", or did you hand over the envelope? If it's the latter case, then you wouldn't have felt the stigma.I remember being at primary school and the secretary coming in on a Monday reading the register and when your name was called you either said ‘ticket’ or you handed over a few pounds in a special sealed envelope. No stigma from what I recall.
In my primary school it was quite subtle. Most parents whose kids had school dinners pre-paid at the beginning of the week and every kid was issued with a paper ticket before heading to the canteen at lunchtime. I went home at lunchtime, but on the odd occasion I'd have to have my meal at school if there was going to be nobody at home, and there was an opportunity to buy a ticket from the teacher in the morning. I don't recall if there was anyone who was on free school meals at the time, but the lunchtime experience was cashless and the same for everyone. Presumably the teachers would have a list of those who wouldn't be bringing money in.I don't remember it being a thing either when I was at secondary school in the 70s. From memory I don't think we even knew who got free school meals.
At secondary school, the experience was very different. Those on free meals had to queue to collect a ticket from the office prior to heading to the canteen and having to queue again; inevitably, they'd always end up at the end of the canteen queue and food choices were often limited by the time they got to the counter. Then there was the embarrassment of being told that the dinner ticket doesn't cover this and that, both on the part of the student and the staff at the till. I wasn't in receipt of free meals, but a few of my friends were and I would wait with them; it all seemed so horribly unfair that they were constantly having to put up with second choices.
So yes, I'd argue that free meals should be universal. Kids don't function properly when they're hungry and the very least we can do is put them on an equal footing.