Keir Starmer calls for school breakfast clubs for all pupils

March 8, 2021 Ava

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the Government introduce school breakfast clubs for all children to help them recover from the coronavirus crisis.

The Labour leader accused ministers of ‘treating our children as an afterthought’ during the pandemic and ‘now they are being forgotten in our recovery’.

Labour said providing every child with a ‘healthy breakfast’ before school would also give them ‘more time to play with their friends and extra time for teachers to provide targeted catch-up support’.

The policy demand came as Sir Keir tries to reverse Labour’s fortunes in the polls after a post-Budget survey gave the Tories a massive 13-point lead.

Labour said analysis of Government data showed children have lost an average of 109 face-to-face school days since the first lockdown in March 2020.

The party is today launching a ‘Bright Future Taskforce’ to deliver a long-term strategy for children’s recovery from the pandemic.

Marking the day that schools fully reopen in England, the party said breakfast clubs would help make up for lost time.

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Sir Keir said: ‘The Government has treated our children as an afterthought throughout this pandemic and now they are being forgotten in our recovery.

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‘I am announcing our Bright Future Taskforce to ensure every child can recover from the impacts of the pandemic and every child is able to reach their potential.

‘Labour wants to see our children’s recovery at the heart of efforts to rebuild our country so we can make Britain the best place to grow up in.’

The Government has allocated hundreds of millions of pounds as part of its catch-up plans.

And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said yesterday he is considering cutting the summer holiday and introducing longer school days to aid pupils’ recovery.

Labour’s shadow education secretary, Kate Green, said: ‘The Government’s catch-up plans fall woefully short of the support needed to help children recover from the pandemic, condemning the life chances of a generation of young people.

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Research by YouGov published last week found Conservative support had surged four points to 45 per cent – while Keir Starmer’s party tumbled to 32 per cent

‘Ministers should listen to Labour’s call for breakfast clubs to give every child a healthy breakfast, more time to play with their friends and extra time for teachers to provide targeted catch-up support.

‘The Government must be more ambitious for children’s recovery.’

It comes after a YouGov survey published last week put the Tories 13 points ahead of the Labour Party.

The research found Conservative support had surged four points to 45 per cent while support for Sir Keir’s party tumbled to 32 per cent.

Source: Thanks msn.com