School lunches and after-school activities will cost parents in Iceland more this year than last, RÚV reports. The country’s eight largest municipalities are all raising the fees for these services, though mostly in line with price level increases. The CEO of national parents’ association Home and School expressed concern about the changes, which he says will leave some parents with no choice but to cancel their food subscriptions or withdraw their children from after-school programming.
Despite being encouraged to keep their fee hikes to a minimum, all of the country’s largest municipalities have raised fees for school meals, after-school activities, and afternoon snacks. The fees also vary greatly between municipalities, with the highest and lowest fees for school lunches showing a difference of 71%. As last year, parents in Seltjarnarnes pay the highest fees for elementary school services and those with children in Mosfellsbær pay the lowest fees.
Public health issue
Arnar Ævarsson, CEO of Home and School, a national parents’ association, says the price hikes will have the greatest impact on those who are less fortunate, disabled, or immigrants, and those who have the smallest social support networks. The consequence can be very serious, and Arnar points out that stress, anxiety, and guilt that parents or guardians might feel over not being able to provide their children with the same things other children receive also impact the children themselves.
Arnar says there’s a need to change the rhetoric around school meals and discuss them as a public health issue rather than a service. “In the long term, there is a risk that poor nutrition will later affect the health of individuals. Then this is a cost that comes down elsewhere in the system,” Arnar stated. School meals are also a social equaliser when all children can partake in them, he added.
