School meals take-up drops 50 per cent after cook is axed

PARENTS have launched a campaign to have a cook reinstated after the number of children taking school dinners fell by almost 50 per cent in just seven months.

Meals have been transported from a school in Leith to Stockbridge Primary since its cook left in November to cover maternity leave at another school.

Parents say the meals now being given to the children are "revolting" as they have to be re-heated when they arrive at Stockbridge, and that they also lose their nutritional value as a result.

The school's parent council says this is the reason why the take-up of school meals has dropped from 1039 meals in October last year to 539 in May 2008.

They are furious with both the council and Edinburgh Catering Services (ECS) as they claim they were given assurances, ever since their cook left, that another one was being sought to fill the post temporarily.

No-one was been appointed though, leaving the school with a fully functioning kitchen but no cook, and although the school's former cook has now finished her maternity cover at the other school, she has not been returned to Stockbridge.

Parents say ECS has now told them they will not be getting a cook in the "foreseeable future".

They have launched a petition to get support for their campaign and are lobbying councillors and MSPs over the issue.

Claire Cowell, secretary of the school's parent council, said: "Before the end of term it finally became clear that we won't be getting a cook and they said the situation is not going to change in the foreseeable future.

"The process of cooking then re-heating makes the meals fairly revolting. My daughter used to take school meals every day but she is saying more and more that she doesn't like them and it's becoming more difficult to get her to take them."

The parent council is also concerned about the amount of packing being used while the food is being transported from one school to the other, saying it is in "contradiction" to the principles underlying its eco-school status.

Ms Cowell added: "I know the council has financial difficulties but this is such an important issue."

The situation at Stockbridge is the latest blow to school meals for Edinburgh's children.

A shortfall in council budgets has led to the council closing kitchens in six primary schools – Kirkliston, Juniper Green, Hermitage Park, Prestonfield and the under-threat Lismore and Bonnington schools.

The city council blamed the closures on a fall in demand for meals over the last few years.

Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, said she is happy to meet with parents at Stockbridge to discuss their concerns, and added: "If we are to improve the take-up of schools meals in the future we need the help and support of parents.

"Unfortunately there has been a steady decline over a number of years in the take up of school meals.

"We need to identify innovative ideas if we are to reverse this trend."