Samir Qurashi and Aya Elgool – ‘I’ve seen people in my school go hungry’

THE borough’s youth MPs are taking the fight for universal free school meals to Westminster next month as part of a campaign against food poverty among young people.

Samir Qurashi and Aya Elgool, both 17, represent Camden at the British Youth Parliament and will be visiting the House of Commons next month as part of a campaign to secure a “Free School Meals Bill”. This would see all children in education given access to free school meals.

Ms Elgool, who is studying for her A-level exams at Regents High in Somers Town, said: “I’ve definitely seen people in my school, even people in my sixth form, go hungry. Because of the criteria needed to qualify for free school meals, some of my friends that genuinely would need free school meals don’t qualify for free school meals.

“That means they either go hungry or they will have saved up money to be able to eat either for that one day or to eat for a few days out of the school week, because of the specifics needed to qualify for free school meals.

“I have a friend that is in a single-parent household. But because her mum makes a certain amount, it means that she doesn’t qualify for free school meals. But that one income is providing for the house, the heating, the food she eats at home. Her mum isn’t always able to pay for her food in school.”

In Camden, all children between the ages of seven and 11 are eligible for free school meals – an option that is not open to children of secondary school age.

“It’s led to a lack of concentration in class, it’s led to teenagers’ mood swings definitely being more apparent because of a lack of food, especially for young girls: combine that with being on your period, it’s just a really bad combination,” Ms Elgool said, adding: “There’s a lack of concentration, there’s a lack of self-control. Because you’re irritable, you don’t know what you’re going to do or say, and that isn’t necessarily reflective of your character.

“The thing is, not everyone is going to understand it’s actually reflective of the circumstances that you are in.”

Mr Qurashi, who joined Camden School for Girls [CSG] sixth form after sitting his GCSEs at Regents High, said: “It hasn’t affected students [at CSG] as much as it does at Regents High School or Maria Fidelis, where the majority of students receive free school meals or come from low-income households.

“I raised the idea of lowering the household income at which students qualify for free school meals. The council are aware of the impact the lack of free school meals is having on students in Camden, however, they didn’t seem too keen on implementing that.”

He added: “Hopefully, after that debate we get to put [the Bill] to Parliament, MPs and the prime minister take action and implement free school meals for all.”