MHK condemns lack of free school meals through summer

Daphne Caine says struggling families are already stretched

The Island's former children's champion has condemned the news that free school meals won't be made available during the summer break.

Last year government provided families, who usually receive free school meals, with Shoprite vouchers.

The uptake was around 90 per cent.

Garff MHK Daphne Caine doesn't understand why the initiative won't be renewed despite a clear demand: 

In response Education, Sport and Culture Minister Dr Alex Allinson said: "The school holiday voucher scheme was introduced during the Covid-19 outbreak on the Isle of Man, in spring 2020, to support parents and carers of children both in primary and secondary schools who were eligible for free school meals.

"The scheme was extended during the summer holidays in 2020 at a time of high unemployment and after an extensive period of school closures.

"The scheme was approved by a special order of Tynwald and financed by Treasury. Distribution of the grocery vouchers was overseen by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

"Cabinet Office carried out a public consultation of the scheme and had 381 responses - 87 per cent of which were recipients of the vouchers. 58 per cent of respondents stated that they found the voucher scheme extremely useful and eight per cent confirmed that they had not used the vouchers.

"When asked what types of spending parents have to consider that make it more difficult to afford food during school holidays the top answers were buying new school uniforms and Christmas presents.

"The department has worked across government to look at the causes and effects of poverty with relation to families. The overall cost of school uniforms has been highlighted as an issue with the Educational Council.

"At July Tynwald the Select Committee on Poverty recommended that benefit rates should be set as a proportion of the Minimum Income Standards for different types of households and Tynwald supported a comprehensive strategy to eradicate poverty on our Island."