Faith leaders write open letter to PM on free school meals

Faith leaders are participating in a weekend of prayer, amid calls to extend free school meals to primary school children.

The prayer marathon is part of the National Education Union’s No Child Left Behind campaign, and is underway from 23 to 25 June, as part of a wider week of action.

Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu faith leaders are aiming to raise awareness about the increasing levels of hunger in schools and its impact on children.

Prayers are being held in churches, synagogues, mosques, and Hindu temples by members of the 240-strong campaigning coalition.

Unlike Scotland and Wales, which have pledged to provide free healthy meals for all primary school children since 2020 and 2021 respectively, England has not made such a commitment.

Currently, Free School Meals are universal only for the first three years of school. From Year 3 onwards, strict eligibility criteria based on family income result in millions of children lacking food in school.