As the bell sounds for dinner time at Blackhall Primary in Edinburgh, a peculiar form of apartheid descends. Pupils who have spent the morning sitting together during lessons and playing football in the playground start to go their separate ways. At this school what you eat determines where you sit.

As the excited hordes pour out of classrooms, those who bring their own packed lunches sit on benches around the perimeter of the 1970s gym that serves as a dining hall.

Inside is the much smaller group who eat school dinners. Most go for the popular fast-food options such as pizzas, turkey drummers and chips or smiley-face potatoes.

Within that group is a sub-stratum whose members brave the so-called healthy option — alternately overcooked vegetables or the token salad. They constitute a tiny handful of the school’s 344 roll and attract admiration and derision from their classmates in equal measure.

Blackhall is typical of thousands of schools across Scotland. Despite the launch, two years ago, of Hungry for Success, a £62m programme by the Scottish executive to improve school meals, they are largely going uneaten.

Last month Jamie Oliver held Scottish school dinners up as a beacon of excellence, claiming that they were “light years ahead” of those on offer south of the border. The celebrity chef, who is single-handedly revolutionising the provision of school meals south of the border, praised the country’s “exceptional” dinner ladies who, he said, had a “passion” for fresh food.

Yet, while ministers and councillors bask in such plaudits, the evidence, and the testimony of parents, suggest Oliver is wide of the mark. Many parents agree that, while the executive has taken a small step in the right direction, there is still much to be done before the quality of school meals has a markedly positive impact on the health of schoolchildren.

“I decided to give my children packed lunches. They think the school meals smell revolting — the tepid cauliflower and broccoli smell puts them off,” said Tina Woolnough, whose son and two daughters attend Blackhall.

“There is often no healthy choice. The girls feel they are missing out on the social aspect of the school lunch, sitting down with others, passing food and learning manners. But what can you do? There is still a gap between what is eaten at home by families who care about nutrition and what is being served up at schools.”

One of the biggest criticisms of school dinners in Scotland is the disparity of provision across the country. Where you live determines the quality of food your child is eating. Aberdeenshire council spends 49p per pupil per meal in its primary schools — the lowest in Scotland.

Other low-spending authorities include East Ayrshire, which spends 50p per primary pupil per day, Inverclyde, which spends 52p and Dundee, which spends 55p. Glasgow spends up to £1.

The Hungry for Success programme aimed to improve children’s eating habits and life expectancy by setting nutritional standards for school meals. It provides free fruit for P1 and P2 pupils, and ensures water is available to children for free.

Changes have already been introduced in primary schools. Burgers, pizzas and turkey drummers are still available on the menu but chips can only be served once a week. The programme is now due to be rolled out in secondary schools with changes in menus being made by the end of 2006. While most will strive to offer healthy options, catering managers acknowledge that chips will be more frequently available to stop pupils voting with their feet.

Times Recommends

• 5 Christmas romance confessions
• Has champagne lost its sparkle?
• Your tailor-made Christmas