School meals around the world
Recent events prove that providing school meals in England isn't an easy job. A question mark hangs over the future of a meals service in Essex after the county council tried to scrap it because of rising costs. Opposition from parents and teachers forced the council to postpone its decision until the summer. And last month Scolarest walked away from a £2.5m-a-year contract in Wandsworth, south-west London, saying it was "no longer commercially viable".
Such events have raised concerns that private companies have underbid contracts or that councils haven't allowed enough money in their budgets to support the service… or both.
Meanwhile, the Government's concern over the health of children and the rise in diet-related illnesses is raising expectations of what school meals should provide in terms of nutrition. There's a strong will from many quarters to improve English children's eating habits. Many schools are banning fizzy drinks with a high sugar content, and looking at salt and sugar levels. Many are eliminating dishes such as processed chicken and turkey nuggets, known in the trade as "orange" products.
But so far, apart from its free fruit scheme, the Government hasn't given any extra money to the service. From the table below you can see how England's situation compares with other countries. In Scotland, for example, an extra £63m has been made available to introduce minimum nutritional standards based on nutrient intake rather than food groups, as is the case in England. Some critics say England's nutritional standards are ineffectual because the choice of dishes provided means kids nearly always pick the unhealthy options.
The Government wants to encourage the use of local and organic ingredients, but for many authorities, such as Essex, costs continue to be an obstacle. According to Vic Laws, director of AVL Consultancy, a two-tier service is developing.
"Those schools that have got a wealthier client base are offering fresher, organic or locally produced meals, and those that haven't got the budget are reduced to supplying sandwiches to free-school-meals pupils," he says. "These pupils are the most vulnerable and will suffer the most."
At a recent Food Standards Agency debate, the general consensus was that the Government needed to take the lead by investing more money in school meals. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of South Korea's book and target central government funding at geographical areas most in need. Even better, why not take the Swedish route and provide free school meals for everyone? It's not as far-fetched as it sounds.
One English council has already taken this route without waiting for extra central funds. Next month, Hull City Council starts giving all its primary schoolchildren free breakfasts and lunches - an encouraging example of a council prioritising child nutrition in its existing budget.
| When the Lunch Bell Rings In Sweden and Finland, hot school meals are free by law to all primary schoolkids, and nearly all secondary school pupils. By contrast, neighbouring Denmark and Norway have historically never had a hot school meals service. It's very rare to find a school with a canteen, and packed lunches are the norm. In the USA and Italy, the cost of school meals is graded according to family income. Italian pupils receive one set lunch a day with little or no choice. Pupils prepare the dining room, serve each other and eat together with their teachers. Uptake is 100%. English schools provide a large choice of dishes, but have the lowest uptake (43%) of the countries in our survey. South Korea's primary school meals service was stopped in 1977 after a food poisoning outbreak killed a student. The service was gradually reintroduced from 1981. In South Korea today, qualified dietitians are in charge of school meals. They're responsible for planning menus, inspecting ingredients, hygiene control, and supervising the cooking. There's one dietitian to every eight catering staff. |
School meals facts and figures around the world
England
Population: 49 million
Funding: Central Government funds free meals for families receiving income support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or support under the Immigration and Asylum Act. At a local level, local education authorities (LEAs) might opt to subsidise meals for pupils who wish to buy them. This could be from a central budget or a budget delegated to the schools. About 34p to 38p is spent on ingredients for each meal.
Providers: 2004 market share - 66% in-house (council-run); 2% self-operated; 10% Compass Group; 8% Initial Catering Services; 3% Sodexho; 11% other private contractors.
Average pay of catering staff: Basic pay is £5.50 an hour. This is higher in the London area, with one borough paying £6.60 an hour for food service assistants.
A typical meal: Primary - pork and pineapple curry with rice and a choice of two vegetables or salad; or a cheese-and-bean-filled jacket potato; apricot crumble and custard. There's also fruit and yogurt for dessert, and often a sandwich meal with a drink instead of the main course for pupils who have club activities at lunchtime.
Secondary - a multi-choice menu is on offer, with each item individually priced. This will include conventional main dishes, pasta, salads, sandwiches, pizza, burgers and jacket potatoes.
Uptake: 43%
How much parents pay: Primary school - £1.10 to £1.55, average £1.37. Secondary schools have variable tariffs for each item.
Nutritional standards: In 2001, the Government introduced food group-based nutritional standards which should provide a third of a child's nutritional intake per day. A free fruit scheme is now being extended to all pupils aged four to six.
Scotland
Population: Five million
Funding: Each local authority receives funding from the Scottish Executive called GAE (grant-aided expenditure). This includes an element, based on a complicated formula, to cover school meals and the cost of providing free school meals.
Providers: School meals are controlled by each of the 32 local authorities. Split is 95% in-house, 5% by private contractors.
Average pay of catering staff: The minimum is £5.08 an hour, rising according to contractual status and skill levels.
A typical meal: Primary - fish fingers, peas, and boiled potatoes; or hot tomato pasta bake with garlic bread; daily salad bowl; mandarin muffin and milk shake, or yogurt and fruit. Secondary - the Fuel Zone concepts in Glasgow have the look and feel of fast-food outlets. Kids choose from soups, sandwiches, baguettes, beef burgers, pizza slices, baked potatoes with fillings, French fries, salads, fresh fruit, and yogurts.
Uptake: According to the 2001 census, 48.7% of pupils ate school meals, but uptake levels are on the increase.
How much parents pay: The cheapest primary school meal is in Glasgow at £1.15 a day. The country average is £1.40.
Nutritional standards: There are no statutory standards that apply specifically to school meals, but a new strategy, "Hungry for Success", aims to make nutrient-based standards compulsory in schools.
Italy
Population: 57 million
Funding: Administered by regional councils (commune). The cost per meal is on average £3. Parents contribute £2.20, £1.80, or nothing. The commune pays the rest. An average of 90p per meal is spent on ingredients.
Providers: In village and small-town schools, local authorities directly manage the service. In large cities it's more common for local catering companies to deliver the service on behalf of the council, which specifies the ingredients and menus.
Average pay of catering staff: Varies widely according to region. About £1,000 a month gross.
A typical meal: Pasta with pesto, chicken breast with vegetables, bread, a piece of fruit, water. No choice is provided except for vegetarians and religious requirements. A different meal is served each day on a four-week rotation.
Uptake: 100%. Lunch is part of the school day for children up to the age of 14. Students prepare the dining room and eat with their teachers. Food is served at the table.
How much parents pay: Parents pay according to income. Meals are free for low-income families, rising to a maximum of, in the case of Tuscany, £2.37.
Nutritional standards: The ministry of health sets general guidelines, but local committees made up of parents, cooks, council members, dietitians, and teachers decide menus and policy.
Sweden
Population: Nine million
Funding: School lunches are free throughout the compulsory school system (from seven to 16 years), and to most attending upper secondary school (aged 17 to 19). They are paid for out of general taxation. There are about 5,500 schools serving lunch 175 days a year to 1.2 million pupils. The cost of ingredients is on average 60p per lunch, or £270 a year per pupil .
Providers: The majority of Sweden's 290 local authorities run their own catering service, with private contractors handling 5% of the market.
Average pay of catering staff: £1,200 a month gross.
A typical meal: Macaroni and meatballs with ketchup, or a vegetarian option, bread with low-fat margarine, and a choice of vegetables. Low-fat milk and water. No other drinks are available, apart from orange juice, occasionally.
Uptake: 80%
How much parents pay: Nothing - except for general taxation.
Nutritional standards: The Swedish Food Administration gives guidelines and recommends portion sizes, but they're not compulsory. Each pupil should consume 125g of fruit and vegetables and one slice of bread for lunch. At least two different hot main courses should be provided.
South Korea
Population: 47 million
Funding: In principle, facilities, personnel and fuel costs are covered by the state, while parents pay for food and supplies. Food costs for 13% of pupils are either partly or fully met by the state (305,000 students in low-income families get free meals; 713,000 students in rural or remote areas are partly supported). In 2003, total expenses for school meals amounted to £985m, 20% covered by the state, 79% by parents, and the rest by donations.
Providers: Almost all primary schools, 68% of middle schools, and 47% of high schools have an in-house service. The rest use private contractors.
Average pay of catering staff: £8,128 a year.
A typical meal: Rice, soup, kimchi and other vegetables, and protein-rich side dishes.
Uptake: 90% of the total enrolment of 7.8 million students (2003).
How much parents pay: 62p to £1 per meal.
Nutritional standards: Nutritional standards are outlined in the School Feeding Act. A qualified dietitian is responsible for drawing up menus, preparing and inspecting the raw ingredients, hygiene control, and supervising the cooking staff.
USA
Population: 280.5 million
Funding: Primarily through the federal national school lunch program (NSLP) and national school breakfast program (NSBP). Each meal served results in a reimbursement to the school district. The amount of the reimbursement depends on the financial situation of the child's family. The federal government spent $8b (£4.33b) on the NSLP and NSBP in 2002. The reimbursements aren't enough to cover the food and labour costs, so schools generate funds by selling … la carte items. Some states and local governments also contribute funding.
Providers: School district authorities are the main providers - 17% use private contractors, mainly Sodexho, Aramark and Compass.
Average pay of catering staff: $22,500 to $25,000 a year (£12,174 to £13,527).
A typical meal: Meat or fish, bread or crackers, fruit, vegetables and milk.
Uptake: 60% of children in school on any given day eat a school lunch. About 28 million students eat lunch each day, and eight million eat breakfast.
How much parents pay: Parents pay according to their income. Meals cost from 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch, to $1 to $3 for lunch (54p to £1.62).
Nutritional standards: No more than 30% of calories must come from fat and less than 10% from saturated fat. School lunches should provide a third of the recommended dietary allowances of protein, vitamin A, iron, calcium and calories. Local authorities make decisions about what specific foods to serve and how they're prepared.
| England - A History Lesson1879 School meals started when the Manchester School Board provided meals for destitute and badly nourished children. 1914 The Provision of Meals Act was passed which allowed the Government to make grants to local authorities to supply meals. This also gave the Government some degree of control over the standards of meals provided. 1940 Free milk was given to all children. 1944 The Education Act obliged local education authorities (LEAs) to provide meals in state schools to all children who wanted them. 1980 Meal prices were 35p. Nutritional standards were scrapped, and LEAs were allowed to charge what they wanted. During the next few years various authorities closed their paid meals services and provided only sandwiches for free-meals pupils. 1988 The Local Government Act forced LEAs to put the service out to competitive tender. This put pressure on the in-house providers to improve their marketing, become more competitive and more cost-effective. Since the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering, budgets have been reduced. It's estimated that £100m a year has been cut from the overall school meals budget. 1998 Government allowed responsibility for the provision of school meals to be transferred to individual schools. |
| Future plansScotland A whole new strategy was launched in 2003 with Hungry for Success, an initiative designed to improve popularity, remove the stigma of free school meals and introduce compulsory nutritional and nutrient standards. In order to deliver this agenda, the Scottish Executive pledged an extra £63m over three years. Local authorities are now in the process of delivering these standards. England A free fruit scheme is being extended to all schools to provide a piece of fruit a day to all pupils aged four to six. The Government is encouraging school caterers to buy local and organic ingredients, but hasn't made extra funds available to support these changes. Sweden The School Meals Supporters, a campaigning organisation, is keeping Sweden's universally free school meals service in the media spotlight and says it has helped to increase government funding by 6% since 2000. It includes members of the farmers' union and farmer-owned food companies and aims to improve and safeguard school meals. South Korea With the rise in processed and convenience foods, nutritional imbalance and obesity are emerging problems in South Korea. Dietitians at the ministry for education are recommending that school feeding programmes educate children to form good eating habits. Students can pick up good table manners by having meals with teachers, and acquire knowledge of food, nutrition, and health based on their school meals during classes. Italy Child obesity is a problem, though not as dramatic as in Western Europe. New guidelines to decrease calories have been introduced, and there are recommendations to increase the use of organic and wholemeal foods, which means more fibre, fruit and vegetables, and less meat. The USA Nutritionists are working to balance the need to offer healthy and safe meals with the need to stay financially solvent, while providing meals that children will eat and enjoy, according to the American School Food Service Association. |
