PFI Schools: Serving only the best chicken guts
Back in March when Tony Blair and Ruth Kelly rode to the rescue and promised that our kids would be getting proper food at school, I said this:
So, when the government promises to “help empower parents to work with schools to raise standards”, does that mean guidance on how to renogotiate or even terminate contracts with outside contractors and corporate behemoths like Scholarest?
It now seems that there’s no need to empower some parents because the fix is already in:
The Guardian: ‘No fresh meals’ for PFI schools
[T]oday’s report reveals that a quarter of schools covered by PFI had ‘regeneration’ kitchens, designed to only to warm up and serve food prepared elsewhere.
If the unseen hand of the market demands that school children eat warmed-up, mechanically-recovered lips and arseholes then they’ll jolly well eat warmed-up, mechanically-recovered lips and arseholes. The profit motive has decided that children don’t need healthy, fresh food.
It’s a relief, I’ll admit. I don’t know what I was fussing about. The market has our children’s best interests at heart. Until it decides our children need fresh food at lunchtime, they don’t need fresh food at lunchtime.
Where can I get me some that PFI gravy? Those shareholders must sleep like babies.
Posted on September 13th, 2005 at 8:18pm under Uncategorized
| Related posts... • Food, Glorious Food (in 25 years) • Thin Gruel • Your intelligence: not just insulted but given a good kicking as well. |
• Permalink • Trackback • Subscribe |
|
|
|
• 6 Comments |
What kind of kitchens do you think state schools have? This is the exact situation produced by the public-sector “save the money to spend it on bureaucrats” approach. It’s nothing to do with PFI.
At my local primary school (bog-standard state-run, natch), the kitchen was completely removed – to make more office space of course. ALL the food is now brought in from somewhere else in “hot boxes”.
Don’t blame the market.
Jamie Oliver will be turning in his grave.
From my county council: “There are no hot school meals in Dorset.” So, that’s that sorted. The poor kids get bussed-in sandwiches.
At my school we have cooked meals, but the library is being moved into the school premises as the current building does not enable disabled access.
So at a cost of £200,000 (plus ???) it is being moved … and the school music facilities, room etc., are being shut down.
Whooop de doooooo….well you can’t get Music teachers anyway.
The prospect of Jamie turning in his gravy ha supset me… I think I will go and lie down.
Sorry Anonymous, but I believe the making profits from feeding school children to be immoral. I’ll blame who I like, thanks.
I don’t see it as the PFI companies responsibility at all – it’s up to the government, who are writing the PFI contract, defining the specifications and spending the public’s money.
If they commission companies to provide sub-standard rubbish, either specifically, or by omitting appropriate quality requirements, then it’s their fault. And it’s our fault too for letting them do it, and not making enough fuss to our MPs etc.
Let’s face it, and with respect, if you come to Chicken Yoghurt looking to debate with a titan of economic theory, you’re onto a loser. Please, come for the spite, stay for the bile.
My policy is this: If you knowingly invest in, or work for, a company that provides PFI schools and those schools aren’t good enough to provide decent meals to the children, you are a wanker. In fact, you are less than human.
Conversely, if you are a government lacky negotiating a PFI schools contract and allow the company with which you are negotiating to squeeze the margins to the point that they do not provide decent meals to the children, you are also a wanker and betraying the reason you do your job which is to get the best deal FOR THE PEOPLE WHO PAY YOUR SODDING WAGES. You will go to Hell when, miserable and alone, you die.