This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
SCHOOL MEALS IN EDUCATION AUTHORITY SCHOOLS 1998-1999 |
June 1999 |
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| The provisional results of the latest annual survey of school meals are published today by The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department. |
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| These results have been calculated using information from the annual survey of school meals collected from education authorities in Scotland in January 1999. This news release updates the figures published in July 1998 in the News Release School Meals in Education Authority Schools, 1997-98, which reported the results of the January 1998 survey. |
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| The main findings are :- |
- At January 1999, 22 per cent of primary pupils and 17 per cent of secondary pupils were recorded as being entitled to free meals in education authority schools, marginally less than in the previous year. ( Table 1).
- Over 46 per cent of the 671,300 pupils present on census day took school meals in 1998-99. This compares with just under 47 per cent of pupils present in 1997-98. ( Table 2).
- In primary schools, 47 per cent of pupils were taking school meals on census day in 1998-99. Within secondary schools, the percentage of pupils taking meals in 1998-99 was just under 45 per cent, one percentage point more than in 1997-98. ( Table 2)
- Actual uptake of free meals amongst pupils present on census day (16 per cent) was lower than the recorded level of entitlement of pupils on the register (21 per cent).
- Glasgow City had the highest percentage (just under 44 per cent) of pupils recorded as being entitled to free meals compared to Aberdeenshire who had the lowest at 6 per cent ( Table 3).
- Over 86 per cent of pupils present on census day took meals in the Shetland Islands compared with the national average of 47 per cent ( Table 4).
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| TABLES |
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| Table 1 - Pupils on the register of education authority schools: Number and percentage of pupils recorded as being entitled to free meals by sector, 1993-94 to 1998-99. |
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| Table 2 - Pupils present in education authority schools on census day: Pupils present taking meals by sector, 1993-94 to 1998-99. |
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| Table 3 - Pupils on the register of education authority schools: Number and percentage of pupils recorded as being entitled to free meals by education authority and sector, 1998-99. |
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| Table 4 - Pupils present in education authority schools on census day: Pupils present taking meals, by education authority 1998-99. |
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| NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS |
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| 1. A survey of school meals provided by education authorities has been carried out annually since 1982-83. The survey is conducted in the spring of each year. Around 94 per cent of primary and 88 per cent of secondary pupils on schools registers are typically present on census day. |
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| 2. The data for the years 1993-94 to 1997-98 for primary schools may include some nursery pupils attending primary schools, who were unable to be separately identified in recording those entitled to free school meals and taking meals. The provision of free school meals is not compulsory within the pre-school education sector, therefore no information was collected in 1998-99 from centres of pre-school education. |
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| 3. This information is used in deriving the funding indicator for Teachers for Deprivation within GAE and within Target Setting. In order to improve the quality of the data, Local Authorities were issued with agreed guidance to allow for an estimate for those pupils who they believed to be entitled to free school meals, but were not recorded as such on their systems. |
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| 4. Under Section 53(3) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities had a duty to provide school meals in the middle of the day and free of charge to a pupil whose parents were in receipt of Income Support, or who was him/her self in receipt of income support. Effective from 7 October 1996, section 41(4) of, and paragraph 5 of Schedule 2 to, the Jobseekers Act 1995 amended section 53(3) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. This amendment meant that education authorities have a duty to provide meals free of charge to a pupil whose parents are in receipt of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance (payable under the Jobseekers Act 1995) or who is him/her self in receipt of that benefit. |
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| 5. Public Enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Brenda McClelland, Education Statistics, The Scottish Office Education Department, Area 1A West, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone (0131 244 0315) or email: brenda.mcclelland@scotland.gov.uk . |
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6. Media enquiries about the information in this News Release should be addressed to:
Elaine Ravenscroft: 0131 244 2175 |
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| News Release: 1150/99 |
| 8 June 1999 |
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