Schools’ Christmas Dinner row rages

Thousands of local residents have signed a petition this weekend after it was claimed that the traditional schools’ Christmas Dinner will be replaced by pizza and a sandwich.

MyWelshpool has dropped Powys County Council a line over the weekend for the official line and we await a response, but Cllr Joy Jones, from Newtown, launched the online petition after sharing the menu which showed a ‘Christmas Theme Menu’ included a filled sandwich, pizza finger, breaded coated chicken or vegetable nugget, carrot and cucumber sticks and a pudding.

It’s enraged parents and other residents alike, with more than 5,000 signatures by this morning.

“Christmas dinner has always been thought of as a special part of the school year as it is the one time when children have the staff serve their meals,” said Cllr Jones. “There's a party atmosphere and everybody eats together and they make a very special event of the whole thing but this year they will have a finger buffet.

“For some families, it may be the only traditional Christmas meal the child will get at Christmas.”

The decision, which appears to be a cost saving measure from the cash-strapped council, has caught county councillors unawares but this morning Cllr Stephen Hayes, of Montgomery, revealed what information they have to date.

“As I understand it, schools have been offered (at Head Teachers' request) a choice between the full Christmas meal or a lower cost option,” he said. “The full meal would cost schools more, because it costs a good deal more to produce and distribute. They could choose whether or not to pass that additional cost on.

“There is currently a lot of discussion between councillors on internal email, so things may change. Things like this are the reality of repeated cuts in the Council’s funding by Welsh Government - this particular decision may be changed, but something else will have to bear the strain. There is no more money down the back of the sofa.”