The way that students who receive free school meals is being adjusted to work best for parents and their children.

With the island’s schools closed except to children of key worker staff, concerns were raised over how children who receive free school meals would be fed.

Education, Sport and Culture Minister Dr Alex Allinson said that the way free meals have been issued this past week hasn’t proved the best model for those in need.

Dr Allinson said: ’One thing we really wanted to do was look after those children in our community who rely on free school meals.

’The initial way we’ve been doing that this week was by asking them to come to the secondary schools, which work as hubs, and pick up those meals from there.

’But we have found that this is not the best way of providing those meals in certain areas around the island.

’So what we’re now doing is working with some of the local teachers who know their communities, who know their pupils, to think of other ways we can distribute the school meals so that those children get what they need in a way that is acceptable for them.’

The island’s schools will remain open over the Easter holidays to support the island’s key workers.

Dr Allinson also confirmed that free school meals will be provided over the holidays as well as during what would be term time.

This is the first time such provisions have been made and will hopefully ease some of the burden on key worker parents and those who receive free school meals.’

The Minister also said he ’really hopes’ that the island’s schools will be able to open in the next few weeks.

In Friday’s sitting of Tynwald, Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said the aim is to ’suppress’ the Covid-19 virus over the next three weeks, at which point it is hoped the island’s businesses can begin to reopen.

Dr Allinson said: ’Once the island’s schools get the green light to open, they’ll ready to go.

’Although they’ve been mothballed and although we’ve been moving staff around, those schools are still operational and they’re still going to be clean.

’So I hope in the near future, when we can start opening things up again, education can be a key part of that.’