The free school meal offer should be extended to all secondary age pupils, Plaid Cymru said today as the new term begins in the face of the deepening cost of living crisis. All reception age children in Wales will be offered free school meals from the first day of term, with the offer being rolled out to older primary children later.
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said universal primary school meals is “step one” as he has renewed his calls to extend the offer. Welsh Government data shows 21% of primary and 18% of secondary children are eligible for free school meals on average.
Schools have long warned that some children, even those not eligible for free school meals, come to classes hungry. Mr Price said: "Universal free school meals for primary school pupils is Plaid Cymru at its best. However, we have always said that we see the introduction of free school meals for primary school children as a first step. To us, it isn’t a matter of if this should happen, but when.
