UNISON CALLS FOR URGENT INVESTMENT TO STOP SCHOOL MEALS PRICE INCREASE

UNISON Northern Ireland is supporting a petition by Act Now NI calling for the Minister for Education to step in and stop the increase in the cost of school meals, due to take effect in January. This follows the announcement of a number of cost saving measures by the Education Authority (EA) earlier this month including a 20% increase in the price of paid school meals.

Commenting on the petition launch, UNISON Regional Organiser Joe McCusker said:

‘‘UNISON, alongside other education support services unions, has met with the EA and raised concerns about the impact of these savings measures on pupils and the education support services workforce. It is clear that the funding gap faced by the EA needs to be urgently addressed with investment by the Department of Education and the NI Executive to prevent such drastic changes to school meals and other services.’’

Commenting further, UNISON Policy Officer Kellie Turtle said:

‘‘The unacceptable funding position that our education services are in should not be shouldered by struggling families.

UNISON has been campaigning for many years for the introduction of universal provision of nutritious, free school meals to both promote child health and development and reduce poverty. However, the Education Minister rejected this proposal earlier in the year due to budgetary pressures [1]. 

This sudden price increase in the new year will impact all families who buy school meals, but particularly those on lower incomes who do not qualify for free school meal entitlement. There has been considerable public anger about the decision and the petition gives people an opportunity to tell the Minister to invest in school meals, and stop this concerning price increase.’’

The petition can be accessed online at https://my.actnowni.org/petitions/stop-the-school-meal-price-increase