Education bosses in Essex have been accused of washing their hands over the provision of school meals in the county.
A meeting of Essex County Council's performance improvement committee examined plans to make schools responsible for providing dinners for children.
The council announced at the end of last year it would not be running meal services after Easter and said schools would have to make their own arrangements.
The proposals have left headteachers and governors angry as they claim they have been abandoned by the authorities and only given 12 weeks to make arrangements.
Many have said they can't afford to provide meals on their own and have warned cash may have to be taken from other budgets, which will harm children's educations.
Published Tuesday January 27, 2004
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