I don't think that's true. Yes, there are some feckless parents but they can be educated surely? My children have good manners, a good diet and are abide to eat in public. Just like the children of nearly everyone else I know. Yes, there are disruptive kids, setting very poor examples at any school; but that's generally down to poor discipline and muddle headed social service attitudes. What a dreadful society we become when the state had to dictate what our children eat and how! I personally don't trust our local council at all, let alone with the welfare of my children. A sick measure for a sick society.

You being able to bring up healthy well behaved kids doesn't negate the point that there is an increasing amount of people who are not feeding their kids a nutritious meal that requires a knife and fork to eat. Also, school dinners can help play a part in the same way school uniforms are meant to.

Free school uniforms next then eh?

I think I'm beginning to understand; political policy today is simply a game show. Reduce implementation to base sound bites so even the great unwashed can understand. Some you win, some you loose.

University tuition fees - loose
Meals on wheels - loose
Free school dinners - win

Joined up, cohesive strategies, nah....roll up, roll up,....

WTFAYTA?

English as she is now spoke, yes clearly education is an issue

I understood the words and grammar, but not the point you were making!

Sorry, response was prompted because I didn't understand WTFAYTA.

The point I'm trying to make is simply that in my view,

- it's immoral to cut the meals on wheels service because of coalition imposed budget cuts; whilst introducing a 'communal feeding service' for a segment of the population that haven't even been demanding it.

- Having the state take over a prime parental responsibility is wrong and Orwellian. In effect, the state now dictating how we feed our children.

- That the Leader if the Liberal Democrats pushed this proposal through as hard as he did, where there are many other more important issues confronting the coalition demonstrates it's simply gesture politics. For instance, could have used his powers of persuasion to push the Student Grants policy he promised and reneged on earlier.

All the main parties operate in this way and suggests our democracy had simply become a lottery of policies, none of which make any sense when considered as a whole.

Finally, if the State do take over feeding kids at lunchtimes, where next?

Utterly bizarre:

• School dinners aren't a new concept, why are you trying to make out offering children food at a school some radical new form of social engineering?
• As far as I know, there's no obligation for children to eat school dinners.
• Is anywhere with a staff canteen also wrong and Orwellian?

Free school meals for all is a new concept or at least hasn't been around for 50 years.

Do you not find it bizzare that someone who has no one to care for them and has contributed to society for years should have their help to hot meals taken away, yet someone who has a parent to look after them is given one free by the state?

Grammar? Where?

What don't you understand about the words 'free' and 'compulsory'. That's the new bit of the concept, well new to us here at the moment. One positive thing though, as you imply, this might make older visitors from the old eastern block feel at home. I'm sure the children will be 'encouraged' and not 'forced' to physically eat the delightful menu our cash strapped local council will provide.

Might be worth you actually reading 1984.

You never cease to amaze; my regards to Big Brother!

Perhaps you should read this: Q&A: Free school meals for infants.

You seem to have invented a problem that doesn't exist so you've got something to moan about.

Aaah, you mean instead of solving a problem that doesn't exist?

Presumably you also agree that those responsible for the welfare of old people are simply moaning because their meals service has been slashed?

Did you send them a nice glossy leaflet too?

Reviving the money well spent theme.
(if I didn't someone else would!)
Anyone reckon they could provide tea and biscuits for a year of meetings at less than £11,000 a year?

More expensive than Costa??

It's about £8,000.00 per year which works out about £27.00 per event, which doesn't seem outrageous to me.

Very true, but then again, with vending machines in close proximity, do the attendees really need to be fed and watered like this?

Mind you, we could always be so miserly that no-one could be bothered to do anything. It's hard to get people to go as it is, it seems.

Vending machines in close proximity?

Yes, that's very true, and really just polite!

Must admit, some of these counting stats. can be quite amusing. I bet they'd be able to tell us how many sheets of bog paper get used each year!

That's if he gives a sh!t