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| Free school meal provision to be debated at Northern Ireland assembly | Free school meal provision to be debated at Northern Ireland assembly |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The provision of free school meals is due to be debated at the Northern Ireland assembly later. | |
| Currently, some children who receive free meals at primary school lose out on the benefit when they move to secondary education. | Currently, some children who receive free meals at primary school lose out on the benefit when they move to secondary education. |
| Stormont's Department of Education plans to end that practice by September next year. | Stormont's Department of Education plans to end that practice by September next year. |
| MLAs will debate a Sinn Féin motion calling on the education minister to help improve the uptake of free meals. | MLAs will debate a Sinn Féin motion calling on the education minister to help improve the uptake of free meals. |
| The children losing out on the free school meals are those whose parents are entitled to working tax credits, but the meals stop when the children leave primary school. | |
| However, the Department of Education has said from September 2014 the free meals will be extended to all school-age children. | |
| This is expected to benefit more than 15,000 pupils. | |
| Speaking ahead of the debate, a senior teacher in Belfast has said the minister's plans to extend free school meal provision will bring enormous benefits to pupils from low-income families. | Speaking ahead of the debate, a senior teacher in Belfast has said the minister's plans to extend free school meal provision will bring enormous benefits to pupils from low-income families. |
| Fiona Kane, the acting principal of De La Salle College in Belfast, welcomed the Education Minister John O'Dowd's move to extend pupil's eligibility criteria from next September. | Fiona Kane, the acting principal of De La Salle College in Belfast, welcomed the Education Minister John O'Dowd's move to extend pupil's eligibility criteria from next September. |
| "I think the minister's decision, while we might be frustrated that he hasn't been able to get this issue resolved for this year, I know that he intended to get it resolved for next year, and we will just have to manage families and schools until it is. | |
| "I would welcome other decisions he has made where I do believe he genuinely is trying to reach out to the most socially disadvantaged young people. | "I would welcome other decisions he has made where I do believe he genuinely is trying to reach out to the most socially disadvantaged young people. |
| "For instance, through the signature project we've been very lucky to secure two teachers to target particularly those children who are entitled to free school meals, and to track their progress and give them extra support for English and maths, to improve their outcomes." | "For instance, through the signature project we've been very lucky to secure two teachers to target particularly those children who are entitled to free school meals, and to track their progress and give them extra support for English and maths, to improve their outcomes." |
| Mervyn Storey, the chairman of Stormont's Education Committee, said using free school meals as the only method of addressing educational under-achievement was "a flawed policy" which was "devoid of any sound educational research". | Mervyn Storey, the chairman of Stormont's Education Committee, said using free school meals as the only method of addressing educational under-achievement was "a flawed policy" which was "devoid of any sound educational research". |
| "Efforts to extend the entitlement of free schools meals to those who are eligible, particularly in controlled schools, are to be welcomed," he said. | "Efforts to extend the entitlement of free schools meals to those who are eligible, particularly in controlled schools, are to be welcomed," he said. |
| "However, it is a false premise that in doing so educational attainment will be improved. | "However, it is a false premise that in doing so educational attainment will be improved. |
| "Any policy change should be informed first and foremost by the needs of children. It should also be based on evidence from research and the experience of teaching professionals." | "Any policy change should be informed first and foremost by the needs of children. It should also be based on evidence from research and the experience of teaching professionals." |
| Pupil's entitlement to free school meals is one criteria used to measure social deprivation. | Pupil's entitlement to free school meals is one criteria used to measure social deprivation. |
| At the start of the new school term earlier this month, Mr O'Dowd announced he was extending free school meal entitlement to pupils at 15 independent schools in Northern Ireland, for the first time. | At the start of the new school term earlier this month, Mr O'Dowd announced he was extending free school meal entitlement to pupils at 15 independent schools in Northern Ireland, for the first time. |
| The independent schools, which educate more than 700 pupils from two years old to 18, do not receive any public funding from the Department of Education. | The independent schools, which educate more than 700 pupils from two years old to 18, do not receive any public funding from the Department of Education. |
| The move was expected to take effect within weeks. | The move was expected to take effect within weeks. |