Food for Thought
A recent APSE survey of council education catering managers brought home to me just how difficult things are getting for those delivering front-line services.
I hoped to discuss school meals without mentioning Jamie Oliver. But one of the surprising statistics that jumped out from the survey was that more than 60% of respondents thought he had been a good influence on school catering.
His campaign for higher nutritional standards might have added costs to the delivery of school food and the change in menus has brought about a short-term decline in numbers having school dinners. But the television chef’s focus has also raised public awareness dramatically and resulted in more respect for an important yet overlooked public service. So, although Jamie has caused short-term pain, 97% of those responsible for school meals recognise that new nutritional standards are still bedding down and the associated difficulties can be overcome in the longer-term.
However, the push to prepare more fresh food, rises of some 15% in the cost of ingredients in the last year and costs due to job evaluation, have all placed a huge financial burden on service providers. At a time when everyone is having to tighten their belts, it is also tempting for families with least money in their pockets to succumb to the temptation of the 99p specials run by local chip shops at lunchtime; rather than paying up to £10 a week for wholesome school meals.
Taking all of these factors together, it is increasingly difficult to provide school meals at breakeven costs. With some local authorities subsidising meals and others not, young people’s nutrition is turning into a postcode lottery. As a society we need to decide whether we are serious about children’s health. If we really are, then I can think of a lot worse ways that the Government could spend our tax yield to enable all councils to support education catering.
If the Government is serious about young people’s health, free school meals are beginning to look like a necessity; as the economy tightens and families face unaffordable supermarket bills. Financially, the long term benefits of children eating healthy from an early age are statistically proven; with obesity related illness one of the fastest rising treatment costs in the NHS budget.
Switching budgets from cure to prevention would prove a wise use of public funds. In the absence of such a move, managers on the front-line – who are doing their damnedest to give kids who might not get them elsewhere decent meals – will continue to face an uphill struggle.
As times get harder, people will inevitably look more to local services for support and councils want to provide it; but they need national backing to help them do so.
Paul O’Brien is Chief Executive of APSE
