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Council looks into potential problem of children 'going hungry'
12 Dec 2011

A council in the north of England is carrying out an investigation after headteachers of schools in the area raised concerns that children are going hungry at lunchtimes.

Bradford Council has asked schools to supply figures to see if any children not entitled to free meals are getting insufficient nutrition at midday, the Telegraph and Argus reports.

It has been suggested that some parents do not have enough cash to pay for their children's lunches, while others may not be applying for free school meals because they are afraid of the stigma.

Headteacher of Ryecroft Primary Jayne Clarke said: "There are clusters of schools around Bradford where it would be fair to say there should be universal entitlement to free school meals."

Contactless smart cards could help schools to beat the stigma of free school meals, as no pupils have to announce that they receive the benefit when at the tills.

Last month, an elderly man named Allan Birnie told the Blackpool Gazette that he has witnessed lots of changes at mealtimes since he was educated in the 1950s, although there may have been less waste back then.