The UN is right: austerity has laid waste to Britain. Look at our schools | Barbara Ellen

When children’s lunch is reduced to cold food and biscuits, something is seriously awry

The UN poverty envoy has just been in Britain on a fact-finding mission, and reported on “mean-spirited and often callous” austerity policies, noting how levels of child poverty are “not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster”. It’s no real surprise then to find schools on the frontline, starting with the food they are able to provide.

While primary schools have provided free lunches to pupils since 2014, school meals have been hit by funding problems and increased food prices. The Soil Association reports that school caterers in England are facing price hikes as high as 20% for fresh fruit and vegetables, and 14% for eggs. Which has led to many schools opting to provide cold food only, and this can include cheaper meat, biscuits and custard puddings.

Effectively, the government has forced schools to cut back on child nutrition

Related: Key points from UN envoy's report on poverty in Britain

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2r09Y8J