Star comment: School meals and many jobs at risk
It sounded like scaremongering. School meals to be axed, Government to blame.
But today we have the figures – or, at least, the figures that Shropshire Council is putting forward.
And on the basis of those there is very good reason for parents of children at primary schools in Shropshire to worry.
Not only parents, but staff working in the school meals service who face losing their jobs.
Details of the potential effects of the alteration to funding guidelines passed down by central Government have been sent by Shropshire Council to school governors and head teachers.
The measures will mean school governors will be able to make their own decisions about how the school meals service is provided.
That sounds like a step forward in giving local schools the power to control their own affairs, taking into account all the particular local factors.
However, if the power to decide comes hand in hand with less money to work with, it is an exercise in setting schools free which is theoretical and academic.
Shropshire Council says that from initial calculations by Shire Services, the current school meals provider, of the 131 primary schools in the
Shropshire Council area – we are not talking about Telford & Wrekin here – there will be 74 at risk of not having enough money to maintain the current level of school meals service.
Hardest hit are schools with fewer than 150 pupils, which means small rural schools. The 250 school meals staff at those 74 schools will be at risk of redundancy.
Schools will have a number of options when they consider how to cope with the new landscape. Their capability to run their own affairs should not be underestimated.
But with a new system in which they are faced with maintaining the same service with less money, it is clear that there are stiff challenges ahead.
Comments for: "Star comment: School meals and many jobs at risk"
Tracy Smart
So....Shropshire county schools receive significantly less funding per pupil than any other county in the UK as it is, the number of children receiving free school meals - and that have been eligible to receive them in the past 6 years- directly impacts on the amount of pupil premium each school receives.
This premium is used by schools to help disadvantaged pupils- the qualifier is whether that child is in receipt of free school meals.
In the absence of free school meals-how will this premium be calculated?
The council needs to dig deeper into its non ring fenced budget and the some £40 Million it has stashed for a rainy day to maintain the school meals service. Any action otherwise is miserly and will be remembered by the electorate as such.
Wenlock Un
As I understand this is not about withdrawing free meals, but removing hot meal options from schools that provide them?
I assume that the reason SCC schools receive less funding than any other council in the UK, is because of the (means-tested) affluence of its residents or the continued demand from those residents for rural schools that have smaller numbers and are financially inefficient?
I don't understand why you make this a council-bashing issue, if it's a change in government policy, it's a question of where the required money comes from;
a) Should hot meals be funded by parents of pupils?
b) Should hot meals be funded from Council Tax (i.e. All of us)?
c) Should efficiencies be demanded of Shire Services*? or the service be put to the market again?
d) Should the smaller rural schools be closed?
What would be your choice?