WHEN the opposition complains about the Scottish Government not closing the attainment gap, they speak as though it is a problem for those in the latter part of secondary school. As far as I am concerned it starts at birth, there is little hope of a child born into poverty attaining the upper echelons of education if the child comes from the wrong end of the unequal financial divide.
A major contributor to this is food poverty – ask any teacher to spot the children most likely to not be well fed and they will, most certainly, pick them out.
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I would suggest that to close the gap all children in all schools have breakfast and lunch. Better ten good meals per week than hit or miss.
The meals will become part of the curriculum. As the child grows older they study more about food, nutrition, preparation, and quality of diet. For some it could lead to future employment, and to all an improvement in health.
M Ross
Aviemore
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