The increasing price of school dinners in Northern Ireland has left some pupils "struggling just to get a hot meal," one teenage student has said.
Robert-Frederic, 17, is among pupils at Belfast's Malone Integrated College who spoke out after it was announced prices are to rise for the second year in a row.
Post-primary pupils will pay an extra 15% on their canteen choices from January, while set meals at pre-school, primary and special schools will rise by 30p.
The Education Authority (EA) said the amount parents would have to pay was still well below the average cost of producing a school meal, estimated at over £5.20.
Families recently had to set aside extra money for term-time meals after primary and special school dinners increased by 50p in January 2026.
At that time, post-primary pupils were informed they would pay almost 20% more for the food they bought in school canteens.
Robert-Frederic told BBC News NI that the previous increase had already made paying for lunches "more difficult for all students".
"Back before the price rise in 2026, you could get water, a cookie and your hot meal and now with the price rise students are struggling just to get a hot meal," he said.
"Instead of just going off numbers on a page, you should actually see how it affects people."