Labour pledge to give all Croydon primary school kids free dinners
By Nikki Jarvis
nikki.jarvis@essnmedia.co.uk
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HEALTHY INCENTIVE: Labour say they will provide free school dinners for primary school children if they win the council elections
Parents and children across Croydon could benefit from a generous new year's resolution made by the borough's Labour councillors.
The party has promised to provide free healthy school meals for all pupils who attend primary schools in the borough - costing around £3.5 million a year - if they win the council elections in May.
Tony Newman, leader of the opposition Labour group, said: "This is a clear pledge that will benefit all children in Croydon primary schools and improve health, behaviour and educational performance."
There are some 75 primary schools across the borough, with 20,000 children between them, and Councillor Newman thinks this new pledge would save parents £60 per month per child.
He said: "It's absolutely important for kids to get healthy meals and while Croydon has its areas of affluence there are still many parts where parents can't afford good healthy food every day and this will guarantee at least one of those a day."
The dinners will be paid for by scrapping the free newspaper the council publishes and distributes, getting rid of the council's neighbourhood enforcement officers and shutting down the council's economic development company, saving a minimum of £1.5 million.
Manju Shahul-Hameed, Labour spokeswoman for schools, said: "As a mother of two young children myself I can really appreciate the difference this could make both to the health of some of Croydon's children and the hard-pressed finances of their parents.
"We are committed to providing measures that will enable our primary school children to have a healthy lunchtime meal without their parents having to make choices based on their budget."
The pledge comes ahead of the council elections this May and if Labour wins the free school dinners will come into play by September 2011.
16 Comments
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by RobinHood, Sherwood
Saturday, January 09 2010, 8:17PM
“Sniff...Sniff....ah the sweet smell of election.”
by Anon, croydon
Saturday, January 09 2010, 5:36PM
“It says all pupils who attend primary schools. It doesnt say, pupils parents that are on benefits only.
Some parents of those children go to work too, so why the hell are you lot moaning. And ann, not all parents smoke and drink, talk about labelling. My father still works at 66, i never him talk bitter about things, he gets on with his job and thats it.”
by auto, Oh Horrors - Croydon!
Friday, January 08 2010, 10:57PM
“Another 'WE' - EU. State, Whitehall, Taberner House, or expensive replacement - Know Best
you Pay.
You know nothing at all!
Will Councillor Newman forgo the Tories' posh new HQ?
Did he say that?
No?
(Surpise!)
Well, there's £3000 per family down the tubes.
As noted, there are a superfluity of empty offices in Croydon.
Do ALL the hangers-on have to be under one roof? No, not so, I would suggest!
Free school meals for ALL.
Even the kids from the posh houses? Seemingly so - though their Dads and Mums (Note - two parents) will be taxed to the hilt from their productive earnings.
Guess who loses - the gardener, cleaner, hairdresser, beauty parlour, clothes shop, even the spermarket - all the discretionary spending.
Newman's taxes squeeze out all the things that those who try to earn a living want to make life in a Big Brother State just-about bearable.
Government - national, local, London, parish is spending too much.
It MUST rein bsck its appetite for spending money. which is our money, on UN-Necessary concepts, ideas, and - above all - re-organisations.
A GOOD Government would leave us 50% more of our earnings, to spend as we wish.
As WE wish.
Do Y O U suppose we will get one like that - this year???”
by SV, Croydon
Friday, January 08 2010, 5:11PM
“Fresh innovative thinking. It would be great if this helps to improve the behaviour of some of our young people, they will then be able to get on at school with a healthy meal inside them.
It also will help to tackle child poverty which must be a good thing, though some of the comments on here clearly think Children should be seen and not heard in some sort of false Victorian idyl.
Its obvious the Council finances are very healthy, since they are spending many millions on a new office building, to complement the tens of offices in Croydon Town Centre that are empty.”
by Th3rd, Croydon
Friday, January 08 2010, 4:55PM
“I'm actually in agreement with Anne! Shock horror!”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Friday, January 08 2010, 4:23PM
“Tell the parents to give up boozing and fags.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Friday, January 08 2010, 4:20PM
“Hopefully, Labour will not get in. I am not paying for children's meals. I want my free papers from the Council and we certainly NEED our Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Friday, January 08 2010, 4:18PM
“You mean lunch, surely? Dinner is an evening meal.”
by Anon, Anon
Friday, January 08 2010, 3:34PM
“I think it is a sham that these people have children but expect the state pay for them. Why should I, who struggles to pay my mortgage have to support thousands of children that happended due to a 1 time fumble??! Do I get any financial help? No I do not!
As Dave says, if you can't afford kids then don't have them.
I also agree with DDD. There are many ways in which to eat healthy and affordably. How about some of these parent (and I mean parent, not parents) give up their sky tv in order to feed their kids?
I'm sick of having to pay for every Tom, Dick and Harry.”
by David, Croydon
Friday, January 08 2010, 2:38PM
“As always, members of the Labour party make pledges that will cost more money at a time when spending needs to be reduced.
This pledge has clearly been picked because they see it as a vote winner. One could ask why they didn't provide this service when they were running Croydon council in the not so distant past?”