It's much more than that.
Murdoch wants to set up a multi-million pound group of companies (à la Crapita) operating in the education field, running free schools and academies, providing infrastructure and services. Every penny coming from the public purse. This would be a significant earner for News Corp.

The leader of the National Association of Head Teachers tells Gove that his 'Golden Age' of education didn't really exist.
No shit...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 89173.html

Ooh look, an un-broken Lib-Dem manifesto promise:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16144396

perhaps not

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/04/future-of-free-school-meals/

The Pupil Premium is allocated to children who receive free school meals, eligibility for FSM is also gives large discounts for school 'extras' such as day trips and residential courses. My husbands school also provides free breakfasts for those on FSM.

He was grumbling about this when he come home on Friday because the six-year rule mentioned in the BBC piece has some loopholes which are only just coming to light.

Not sure if it is ineptitude or just sneaky.

Coming soon to a food bank near you - whole swathes of the population of a first world country.

Y'see what Labour did was make a rule that funding should follow disadvantage.
So if a school had a high rate of FSM the school got extra funding. Because if you are in an area with a lot of poor people you probably have a lot of people who are borderline, so restricting free breakfasts to FSM doesn't touch the people who just miss out on FSM or, more importantly, parents who for one reason or another don't apply.

All schools really have a duty to get as many pupils as possible on FSM.

Yeah, let's see Young's school full of them and then watch how his ethos and no excuses culture work wonders.

Of course, the point of compulsory Latin was that they didn't apply.

I completely agree Malcolm but if the parents shy away from discussing it with the school then the Head just has to back off.
Also parents with chaotic lives and fluid circumstances.

A strange thing about the breakfast club, when every primary child in Durham received FSM for 2 years his school charged everyone who used breakfast club (about 30p a day I think) and it was very popular. Numbers dropped off when the FSM pilot ended, even though he let parents know that he wouldn't charge them if their child went onto means-tested FSM. Perhaps the parents who are borderline or 'to proud' to apply found that the £1.50 p.w breakfast club fee had to go towards the £7.50 p.w. lunch money fee.

In true Mailite style I offer no solutions only problems.

I can't see why there aren't free school meals for all.

It would create some jobs and because of economies of scale, not cost more than if the food was prepared/bought at home.

And improve nutrition too. And it's (generally) a good communal experience.

But hey, shift something "below the line", and it looks like you're saving people money.

And free school transport for all? It happens in France.

You probably right Tubby but I'm conflicted on this, my eldest son had free school meals for 2 years even though I would and could have paid for them:

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2011/12/10/dinner-is-off-after-county-durham-school-project-ends-61634-29928725/

See also child benefit.

Don't be conflicted at all! If it's offered, take it.

In an ideal world it would be the right thing to do. However you would then have to have some other indicator of poverty (for which FSM acts as an indicator) and disadvantage. There are many measures of the school's performance that are mediated by FSM.

In fact one easy way of improving a school's measure of effectiveness was often to have a drive to increase the number of parents claiming FSM. This put the school into a fairer PANDA banding. Don't ask me about the details, I've forgotten (last did it about 1999).

It's my middle class guilt.

Brendan O'Neill completely sees through me:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100152237/liberal-concern-over-free-school-meals-is-really-just-snobbery-and-prejudice/

I think it's snobbery myself. I mean no reason to think a good diet could have benefits.

Whatever happened to Katherine Birbalsingh? She's been conspicuous by her absence.

She's running a free school.

Only joking. It hasn't opened.

Her media career would seem to be at the end of its tether. Back into the classroom?