SCHOOL meals matter. For some children – either because their parents are too busy, or because they’re too poor – the school lunch may be the only hot meal of the day.

Yet hundreds of children in York who are entitled to free school meals are simply not taking them.

Other children whose family have to pay may be deterred by the cost.

A city council task group set up to look into why more children are not eating school meals says the £2.25 cost in York is the highest anywhere in Yorkshire.

The task group says education chiefs and caterers must work together with primary schools to reduce the cost.

It also says more should be done to identify the parents of children who are entitled to, but are not claiming, free meals.

We would welcome both of these measures.

The task group’s report suggests there could be a leap in the number of children eating school meals if the cost was reduced by just 25p, to £2.

Provided the quality was maintained, and the meals continued to be balanced and nutritious, that could make a big difference to the health and well-being of children in York.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect, however, continues to be the number of children entitled to a free school lunch who are missing out.

In the eyes of some, free schools meals may wrongly carry a stigma or be seen as a hand-out. If so, that perception must be tackled.

For children in need to be going without makes absolutely no sense.