Campaigners show concerns over plans to cut back free school dinners

The Scottish Government said councils could target less fortunate areas and use the savings to cut the sizes of classes. But the Church of Scotland and the Child Poverty Action Group are disappointed with this proposal and have written to the cabinet secretary Michael Russell and Cosla president Pat Watters. In the letter it said: "The roll-out of free school meals to all primary 1,2 and 3 pupils is an important way in which government in Scotland can help relieve those pressures, at the same time as ensuring all young children get a healthy meal in the middle of the school day. "Means-testing too often fails to deliver to the poorest and targeting is too often not an efficient way of helping the neediest." Critics have described the idea as an ideal opportunity to spend taxpayers' money on free dinners for kids from wealthy backgrounds, said The BBC. Meanwhile former education secretary Fiona Hyslop has criticised some councils for being too slow on cutting class sizes in the early stages of primary school. Some councils said they didn't have the funds to cut class sizes and others said they had better things to spend their money on.