Greens call for free school meals to be returned for thousands of pupils
Green MSPs secured free school meals for 6,000 S1-S3 pupils whose families receive the Scottish Child Payment across eight councils from June 2025. But the pilot ended this summer, meaning thousands of young people now have to pay for school meals again.
The Greens are calling for the government to reinstate the meals, while continuing to expand free school meals to more secondary pupils.
Green MSPs have already secured free school meals for all P4 and P5 pupils, as well as the ongoing rollout to P6 and P7 pupils who receive the Scottish Child Payment.
The Scottish Green’s education spokesperson, Laura Moodie MSP, said:
“Pupils cannot learn when they are hungry. It is deeply disappointing that thousands of young people have once again been left without access to free school meals.
“We know that the cost of living continues to put enormous pressure on families, and the last thing parents should have to worry about is whether they can afford to put a healthy, nutritious meal on the table at school.
“The Scottish Greens fought hard to secure these meals for 6,000 S1-S3 pupils, and we saw first-hand the difference that support made to children and families.
“It makes no sense for the Scottish Government to allow that progress to be reversed. Free school meals are an investment in children’s health, wellbeing and education, and they should be available to every child who needs them.
“No-one should go hungry at school. The SNP must do the right thing and reinstate these meals immediately, while getting on with the job of expanding free school meals to more secondary pupils.
“We have already secured significant progress for primary school children, and we should be building on that progress, not taking support away from families who have come to rely on it.”