Kids go hungry as parents can’t afford breakfast
Some kids in West Lothian are going to school hungry, according to a new study.
A third of secondary school teachers in Lothian say that parents can’t afford to give breakfast to their kids.
The study, carried out by Kellogg’s, also claimed that 81 per cent of teachers in Lothian had seen a teen come into school hungry – with 33 per cent seeing this happen frequently.
Teachers also predicted that an average of 61 minutes of teaching a day was lost to hunger, with 76 per cent of teachers saying some secondary school pupils were unable to concentrate due to hunger.
The results have prompted The Children’s Food Trust and Kellogg’s to push for more breakfast clubs to be introduced in schools.
Jo Nicholas, head of research at The Children’s Food Trust, said: “Secondary education sees our young people maturing into adulthood, going through stressful exams and often choosing a life career path. All these things are hard to do when you are hungry and teens are often the forgotten age group when it comes to hunger.
“The survey results would indicate that a breakfast club for young people in secondary education, particularly those who need it most, would still be a wise investment.”
Dave Lawlor, UK managing director for Kellogg’s, said:“We would encourage our stakeholders to look at ways we can increase breakfast club support to help boost the provision from primary school to secondary school.”
The research also revealed around one in 10 kids feel too ashamed to eat in front of friends, potentially putting them off attending a breakfast club before school.