Commenting on a set of proposals to tackle health outcomes for
children, including breakfast clubs, increased mental health
support, and toothbrushing sessions for early years,
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National
Education Union, said:
“We welcome Labour’s proposals for cutting waiting lists for
mental health services, and a free breakfast club in every
primary school. Hunger should never get in the way of learning.
“While fully funded breakfast club provision will be a positive
development for many schools, school lunches are seen by many
school staff as a more effective mechanism for tackling child
hunger. The NEU would hope Labour can go further by committing to
free school meals for all children. As the recent extension of
Free School Meals for all primary school children in London has
demonstrated, a universal lunch scheme is both practically
achievable in England and hugely beneficial to children, families
and their communities.
“The NEU recognises that there is an urgent need to improve the
dental health of the nation's children and we therefore support
measures to help make this happen.
“What is essential to the effective rollout of breakfast clubs
and toothbrushing supervision, however, is sufficient funding and
staffing levels. It is not at all clear who will administer these
new drives. Schools should be able to deliver these programmes
free from the worry of budget constraints and increases to staff
workload.
“We also need to see Labour pledge to remove the punitive 2-child
limit so that families can access the support they need.”
