Channel 4 will be broadcasting a Dispatches programme on Monday September 10th entitled ‘The School Dinner Scandal’. It is expected to focus on the issue of nutritional standards being eroded by inconsistencies in how they are applied, such as the fact that academies and free schools in England are exempt from the legislation and that there is evidence that some are allowing banned food and drink back into their schools.
Despite campaigns by LACA, other children’s health and welfare organisations, campaigners, Jamie Oliver and even a survey by the School Food Trust (SFT) which provided clear evidence that the standards were not being applied across all school food provision in some academies, this did not sway the Secretary of State to alter the legislation.
Instead, in July, the Government commissioned another independent inquiry into school food, which is not due to report back until sometime in 2013.
In LACA’s view, this will just allow more time for the slippage back to old ways to accelerate and for positive messages about healthy eating to be undermined.
With obesity levels and child poverty levels still rising, LACA is concerned about the impact this will have on the lives and attainment of the children who will not receive the benefits of good, nutritious food in school whilst waiting for the outcomes of yet another school food assessment.
The Channel 4 programme is also likely to examine whether local authority budget cuts are having an effect on school meals services. The pre-broadcast publicity says that it will look at variations in the amount spent on school meals and the availability of a full meals services in some areas around the country.
It appears to be also looking at the competition that traditional school meals services are continuing to encounter from fast food outlets near or even within schools.
It will apparently feature a parent who discovered that out of a school meal price of £2.10 per meal, 59p was the spend on ingredients. Hopefully this will be put in context by the programme on the basis that the bulk of the cost of producing a school meal is both labour and overheads and that 59p is not comparable to high street prices due to the availability to school caterers of trade prices and economies of scale.
LACA was aware that this programme was being planned, although the broadcast date has only just recently been revealed, when the production company (Nine Lives Media) approached LACA for information on the issues and challenges facing the school food industry.
The producers met with the LACA National Chair and filming also took place at one of her authority’s own schools as an example of good practice. Other LACA members may also have been approached for their input and participation.
Whilst LACA has not been able to preview the programme footage and therefore to assess its tone or conclusions, LACA hopes that the producers will assemble a realistic picture of the real challenges facing school food providers and suppliers.
LACA hopes too that it illustrates to head teachers of all schools and also the Government, the significant health and academic benefits to be gained from full compliance with nutritional standards and how schools and caterers are making substantial efforts to provide parents with affordable, healthy school meals in the face of public sector economic measures and budget cuts.
The School Food Trust has reported back on the benefits of the standards and England now leads the way in healthy food in schools across the world.
Having had overseas delegations visiting our schools and organisations responsible for delivering school food here, to learn from our model and expertise, it is imperative for the future health of our children and young people to ensure that we all do as much as possible to campaign for school food standards to be maintained across Britain.