Tony Dorrian Workers Party Representative has called for a re-think on raising the cost of school meals saying an increase of nearly 20% is unfair on parents who have more than one child at School.
Mr Dorrian said he had already received complaints before the increase was announced that the meals were getting smaller and not as nutritional as they should be. Parents want their children to have a healthy meal at lunch time. But this sizeable increase is going to make parents struggle to meat the costs. The Education Authorities should be in a position to bargain with suppliers to get preferential pricing for the ingredients they buy in bulk. Mr Dorrian also says that schools who give music lessons and provide instruments that the education authority is probably going to introduce charges.
The Workers Party have been supporting the campaign to get every child a free school meal all research carried out on the linkage of food and learning, say children find it easier to concentrate when they are not hungry so therefore learn more. The fact that they are thinking of introducing charges for music lessons which are currently free. Will disproportionately affect working class families.
Mr Dorrian said people are living through a financial crisis and families are struggling financially and emotionally because they cannot afford to provide the basics for their children, these charges will mean an other financial burden they are being asked to carry. They will also be angry that music will be unaffordable for their children, with the emotional toll being felt by children and parents.
Mr Dorrian ended by saying that when are MLAs are considering giving themselves up to £ 30,000 as an increase in their salaries, it beggars belief they cannot fund school meals and music lessons.