The Isle of Wight branch of the National Education Union is welcoming Labour's plans to introduce free breakfast clubs for primary school children.
Commenting on the announcement by Shadow Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, that a Labour Government will introduce fully-funded breakfast clubs for every primary school in England, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"We are not alone in welcoming Labour’s recognition of the seriousness of child hunger and food poverty. There is no greater priority than tackling the effect of poverty on children's education. Earlier in the week the NEU, alongside civil society and MPs, started an open letter, calling on the new Prime Minister to extend Free School Meals to every child in primary. (1) This Labour commitment of breakfast clubs is another positive logical step forward to ensure no child is left behind.
"The 5 Island Trussell Trust distribution centres supported 1,068 local children in the last 6 months alone. (2) According to a Trust Area Manager earlier this year: ’The perfect storm of increased prices and even further reduction in benefits has meant that “food banks are expecting a tsunami of need in the next few months”.’ (3) The oncoming winter and economic situation are expected to increase need further. This is why fully funded breakfast clubs would be welcome on the Isle of Wight.
"Children who eat a healthy breakfast find their attention span, concentration and memory is better. Those children who skip breakfast, usually feel an energy drain by mid-morning. They become tired, restless and irritable. Therefore, we must make sure no child is too hungry to learn."
Shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said the policy will be paid for by reinstating the highest rate of income tax, which was scrapped in the chancellor's mini-budget last week.
Labour says the plan will cost £365million a year.
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