Free school meals expanded to cover P6 pupils in Glasgow

A total of £1.8m has been set aside to provide free school meals to all Glasgow pupils in primary six regardless of their background.

As it stands every child in P1-P5 across the city is automatically entitled to receive a free school lunch as part of the Universal Entitlement scheme

At the end of Thursday’s budget the majority of elected members approved the administration and Green group proposals to invest in school meals which will come into effect this August.

The administration has also budgeted for a further £3m to be invested in the scheme to extend free school meals to all primary seven pupils.

During the meeting Bailie Norman McLeod said it gave him “great joy” to see how the campaign for universal free school meals had progressed since 2012.

Bailie McLeod said: “They say good things come to those who wait. I have been waiting nearly 13 years for us to get there.

“This campaign started in the council term 2012-2017 when I had the privilege of proposing three times, free school meals for children in primary one to three.

“Three times the Labour party shamefully voted the resolution down. I can’t remember one single time that the Labour benches supported the proposals.

“It gives me great joy to see these proposals for universal free school meals to be supported for primary six and seven children.

“Here starts the campaign for universal free school meals in secondary schools.”

Earlier this week the council announced eligible pupils in primary six and seven whose parents and carers are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment could now apply for free school meals.

Now the remaining primary school pupils won’t have long to wait until they too can enjoy a free school meal.

During the meeting, councillor Allan Gow said: “I am proud that we will extend free school meals to all primary six pupils this year and all primary seven pupils next year.”

Councillor Christina Cannon added: “We are invested in providing free school meals to every child in Glasgow so that when they walk through the doors of our schools they are ready to learn.”