The fact that all children living in poverty in Scotland are not receiving free school meals (The Herald, September 20) is of great concern. Leading anti-poverty groups, children's organisations, teaching unions, church groups and others have backed consistently the calls for free school meals for all primary-school children. We believe this is the best way of ensuring that a free healthy meal is available for all children who need it.

The Scottish Government's pilot approach is an important and very welcome step in the direction towards this. The time is right now to learn productively from these pilots and to consider how best to ensure that no child living in poverty misses out.

Greg Dempster, Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland; John Dickie, Child Poverty Action Group; Morag Mylne, Church of Scotland (Church & Society Council); Marion Davis, One Parent Families Scotland; Peter Kelly, Poverty Alliance; Douglas Hamilton, Save the Children; Graham Blount, for members of the Scottish Churches Social Inclusion Network.

In testimony on Wednesday to the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee, Children in Scotland strongly endorsed the Scottish Government's pilot programme to provide free school meals to all P1-P3 students.

Children in Scotland welcomes the universal approach of the Scottish Government's free school meals pilot. We believe that this is essential to promoting healthier childhoods and enhancing children's experiences at school. Many of the Nordic nations have significantly higher levels of child wellbeing than Scotland and free school meals is a key element of the Nordic model.

It is right for Scotland to test the benefits of an inclusive free school meals policy that will encourage healthier eating habits, combat childhood obesity and improve the social development of school children at the P1-P3 level. We look forward to the outcomes of this pilot. If proven successful, Children in Scotland hopes to see it universally expanded beyond the current six-month span to all P1-P3s in Scotland - and to also examine ways in which this can be extended to pre-school children. Children in Scotland has called for a review of pre-school services similar to that established through the highly regarded Hungry for Success initiative.

Chris Small, communications officer, Children in Scotland, 5 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh.