Build Back Better
by Dr Nick Capstick OBE
The Covid pandemic undoubtedly turned the world upside down in many ways with the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, promising change our lives through the announcement of a “Build Back Better,” (*2.) motif.
However, the global pandemic did not just continue the status quo of inequities within the education system it exacerbated them beyond belief especially for the disadvantaged and underserved pupils in schools and colleges.
But “Building Back Better” could have been an opportunity to think again by reframing disadvantaged young people with the opportunities to fulfil what they could be rather than perpetuating what they were born with or without.
We know from the Child Poverty Action Group that four million young people in the country live in poverty, (*3), and it is not too late to take the dis out of disadvantage for each of these children. We know, and Dan Nichols, an eminent educator, talks fluently about what it means to be from a disadvantaged household in the current school system. In his blog “Closing the disadvantage gap,” (*4), he talks about the damage done to a child by being underserved by society and the world in which they live. In this article, I want to explore his concept further in the school food context and especially the lack of Universal Free Schools Meals, UFSM, for all pupils and students. Let’s take the dis not just out of the notion of disadvantage in a traditional sense, the lack of or absence of advantage, and look at it through the additional lens of school food and the school food system.
Dis - a Latin prefix meaning “lack of” or “apart from,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force as an English prefix: disability; disaffirm; disbar; disbelief; discontent; dishearten; dislike; disown, disengage. disenfranchise.
The real impact on learning from being disadvantaged and hungry.
Effective education is about three things:
Great learning behaviours which enable learning. These are the things which we do instinctively through consistent and habitual practice, “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s” without even thinking. It is like the muscle memory of learning, it allows us to do things without deep thought to concentrate on more complex concepts or deeper meaning, but it requires subliminal concentration thus freeing the mind to dig deeper and to understand more. A hungry child, one who lacks the advantage of being well fed and nourished, will struggle to undertake the simplest of tasks because of the distraction of hunger or the fear of being hungry. Take away the hunger or fear of hunger and you gift the child the opportunity to focus on thriving not surviving in a school setting.
All educators know that a hungry child will not and cannot work effectively in school. A hungry child or even one who fears being hungry sometime soon will struggle to:Have the energy and concentration to learn,
Build on prior learning as their focus can only be on the here and now and the immediacy of being hungry,
Link knowledge, understanding and concepts to other parts of the curriculum and thus deepening and contextualising prior learning,
To retain and then use knowledge later in a different context to make sense of the world or to explain it.
Great social behaviours which enable great citizenship. The social element of food in school, the ability to sit, talk and just ponder on life’s mysteries or last night’s TV is an important part of what school does in developing a young person. It adds the “twinkle factor,” the soul and personality, of a young person in school. It offers the opportunity through exploration in a safe space and engagement with their peers to shape how they are and can conduct themselves in civil society.
A well curated and successful school food system in a setting offers the child the opportunity to test and understand social norms and boundaries. It allows them to explore the constructive collaboration and pleasures of being part of a group of people who do not just coexist but take pleasure in each other’s company.Great preparation for the next part of their life, through to employment and beyond. From the age of two, when a child potentially enters the school system, every step they take is the next step of the educative process and this is progressive. The skills, knowledge, understanding and the social emotional strategies they gain from being part of a community build at each key stage cumulatively, but it should also be fun! This combined with their academic achievements will make young people leaving the school system aged 16+ employable.
Let’s face it, most parents want their child to go to school primarily to learn. Most young people want to come to school to have fun or to be with their peers and friends. The two are not mutually exclusive and they should be mutually supportive in making school a compelling and inviting place to be, while also ensuring that children want and are able to learn free from external pressures or crises in society such as the cost of living or energy poverty. They should be safe spaces!
All educators know that a hungry child will not and cannot work effectively in school. A hungry child or even one who fears being hungry sometime soon struggles to have the energy and concentration to learn or to relax and just enjoy being part of school life and the school community but in addition to the above there is the consequential impact of being disadvantaged and hungry in school.
School is the first point of contact with the state and societal norms that most children meet even if they don’t consciously make the link in their formative years, but the impact linked to the cost of living and the energy cost crisis on underserved communities is a “consequential force”- it has lived meaning and consequences for even the youngest of our children. It is an influential part on how young people see their place in life and associate with society. So, in taking away the dis in disadvantage i.e., a lack of advantage, we also need to think of the consequential impact of living in poverty and being hungry, especially in school where young people should be protected by the state from the vagaries of the outside world. Without doing so, we create generations of young people who are:
Disconnected from the world they inhabit. If the world or society or government is unable to connect to meet their basic needs, what do they need the world for? So, in taking away the dis from disconnected how do we create a youth culture which is more connected to society?
Disillusioned or disaffected – we are in major danger of creating a cynical not civil society. So, in taking away the dis from disaffected how do we create a youth culture which cares more about society and their community?
Disengaged from society – youth crime and anti-social behaviour is increasing on our streets. Generations of young people being pushed to the fringes. So, in taking away the dis from disengaged how do we create a youth culture which is more engaged in civil society to improve the wellbeing of themselves but also others?
Disenfranchised from the world of employment – the habits, work ethic and softer skills of determination, resilience and co-operation through collaboration are lost when they are disabled in school by a lack of food or a fear of hunger. So, in taking away the dis from disenfranchised how do we create a youth culture which is more able to succeed in the world of work and who can contribute to society through their taxes, lack of engagement with the police or criminal justice system?
Disabled from a healthy lifestyle – this does not just speak of significant impairment through poor health, or the physical /emotional disability caused by poor diet and nutrition but also to a spectrum of illnesses and impairments caused by poor eating habits in the early stages of a young person’s life. So, in taking away the dis from disabled healthy lifestyles, how do we create a society which is better able to understand and then manage the consequences of a poor diet on their short- and long-term health.
So, what next?
The post-pandemic era should have been an exciting and pivotal point of policy thinking in the educational system and can still be as we approach a general election in the not-too-distant future but more importantly it has to be linked to focused intentional design of the purpose and opportunities around the school food offer within the English school system if we are to compete on a global stage in the future.
Some politicians will refer to the need of dealing with that which is a crisis now because of the critical nature and immediate impact it is having day in day out while looking to do something about that which is seen as a concern later in their political calendar.
The school food system is in crisis and the time is right to develop political strategy and a zeitgeist of public opinion and support which meets the needs of young people in school, and which is an enabling force for good through the school food systems and UFSM for all!
Schools, through no fault of their own, are failing to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of young people to enable them to better learn and better prosper through the Superpowers of Free School Meals. (*1) The current lack of understanding at government level is failing to make teachers productive and school pupils and students engaged in their learning. Put bluntly, the state of food in most schools is a disabling, not enabling factor of success.
So, maybe it is time to look at the case for the intention design of the implementation of a school food strategy which not only addresses, but removes the unfavourable consequences of not dealing with what is now a crisis in our schools regarding the provision of high-quality free school meals for all pupils and students.
This is a determination which requires intense thought and change strategy and has a massive part to play in making schools a compelling place to be if we are to be the curators of young lives who not only have purpose but are also fit for purpose going forward into their post-sixteen lives.
Perhaps even more important in suggesting transformative change after a global catastrophe is to ask why now and what can be done about it? If the education system and particularly the role of food in schools doesn’t currently increase equity, or break down barriers to learning and also fails to help the development of a civil society of the future for so many children what can be done to support an education system in crisis to make it really work for everyone but most importantly the most disadvantaged and underserved pupils and students in our schools with food at its heart. There are ten key factors in making positive change,
Invest in the future now – cliché though it is, our children are our future and the prosperity of the country is dependent on the future being economically buoyant and societal costs such as health being lower through preventative measures.
Ensure stimulus packages shape and do not hinder a sustainable future – this will require more than just pilot projects and hope! The intentional design of a school food strategy which becomes as systemic and accountable as any school improvement strategy to raise standards and create better outcomes for pupils up to and post sixteen. It must be intentional in its design and not rely on local or philanthropic charity for its success.
Empower the consumer – listen to the students and pupils who are the end users and consumers but most of all the beneficiaries of any change. The co-designing of a school food system with young people at its heart is the way to engage and empower the learners in our schools but also to make the invitation to learn and attend school more compelling.
Create a level playing field – understand how through the designing of a systematic and intentional school food system we remove the dis in so many aspects of an underserved child’s life.
Modernise existing infrastructure – it will cost money, but it is an investment not just a cost. Page 3 of “Investing in Children’s Future”, commissioned by Impact on Urban Health, (*5) clearly shows a return on investment of £1.71 for every £1.00 spent if a universal free school meals position was adopted in England as it has been in so many other countries. Where else will this Government or will future Governments of any hue get that kind of return, 71% on every £1 spent but like all investments it will take time to grow.
Simplify government bureaucracy – there are currently too many bureaucratic hurdles, confusion and misunderstanding in the school food system to make it engaging and worth investment by schools, caterers, and food producers. Simplicity is the key to engagement of all sectors of the school food system. Bureaucracy and price point remain as two of the biggest disincentives for caterers and food producers.
Encourage state of the art systems- this is where the creativity, ingenuity and innovation will come in the school food sector thereby reducing unit cost, engaging more pupil footfall, and development through moderated risk taking creating an exciting new food culture and understanding into schools.
Incentivise sector restructuring – through their intentional design and understanding of the school food system from producer to caterer and into schools government must encourage but also incentivise a broader range of local food producers, independent and large caterers and schools to see the benefits of not only servicing but engaging and being part of the change which needs to be seen in creating a school food system for the future benefit of young people and for generations to come.
Understand and celebrate the tangential wins – there can be few who do not understand the:
The impact an inadequate food culture has on the NHS. We already know the pressures the UK health system faces but these are enhanced with childhood obesity and poor dentition at record levels which are exacerbated in later life through poor diet and legacy eating habits. Amputations through diabetes and poor emotional wellbeing through body dysmorphia are significantly on the increase in young adults and those moving into their thirties and forties.
The impact on the world of employment. Employers need two things especially if they are to thrive and productivity is improved.
Fit and able employees who do not take time off for physical or mental health reasons. Business continuity is the most important thing in creating societal and national wealth. According to the Office of National Statistics an estimated 185.6 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in 2022; this level was a record high. The sickness absence rate - the percentage of working hours lost because of sickness or injury rose to 2.6% in 2022, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from 2021 and the highest it has been since 2004, when it was 2.7%.
A reduction in the number of days parents are required to take time off work to support their children with sickness or to attend medical appointments.
The development of a more effective Civil Society – The number of children and young people dropped in 2022 thought to be because of the pandemic and “lock-down” procedures but still 31.2% of children and young offenders went on to re-offend in 2022. We are not creating a society or communities which look after each other or who enjoy civic pride or determination. Our youth and young adults are increasingly dislocated from their communities.
The increases made to the Treasury – just by combining the savings made and income generated from the above three points a case is made for improving the school food system.
And finally, how do we begin to take this journey forward with pace and why should we?
Plan, develop, embed and then celebrate the zeitgeist of Universal Free School Meals
In conclusion, it is hard to imagine that all but a few will disagree that feeding our young people well has to be a priority. However, the most significant challenge is the ability to move it up the ladder of urgent and pressing priorities for Government departments, politicians and policy makers.
But there has never been a better time to ask those in power and those who wish to assume power to consider the case and explore the potential of UFSM. Our modern education system was born out of the needs of the industrial revolution from the 1750’s where it was understood by the powers that be at the time that the way to the nation's prosperity was to have an educated and healthy workforce. This was then embedded in the 1944 “Butler Act” which saw, in the spirit of post war consensus the desire for social reform, the need to create an educational landscape that is recognisable today whereby state education was now free for all children. However, it has also created the only system where children’s wellbeing and nourishment is means tested before they are allowed to have a hot, nutritious and free school meal.
If we understand the three main purposes of education to be
To prepare pupils for the next stage in their learning career, the workplace and life.
To engage pupils with a wide variety of learning experiences; academic, artistic, creative, sporting and social
To facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, skills, aesthetic appreciation, empathy, personal wellbeing.
And if we learn the lessons of the Romans, who created one of the greatest civilisations in the world, “Mens sana in corpore sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body), why wouldn’t those who seek to govern also not seek to create a more equitable, healthy and productive society by investing in the health and wellbeing of our young in school?
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