More children in London now go to school hungry after lockdown-Survey
London, Sep. 25, 2020 (AltAfrica)-More than a third of primary and secondary school teachers in London have reported an increase in children coming to school hungry after the pandemic, the Evening Standard reports
Research has found 34 per cent of teachers in London have seen a rise in children coming to class without having had breakfast compared to the start of the autumn term in 2019.
The study, commissioned by Heinz and children’s charity Magic Breakfast, said two-thirds of teachers expect more children will be coming to school without breakfast once the Government furlough scheme ends next month.
The majority — more than 90 per cent of the 106 teachers polled — said children not eating breakfast reduced their productivity levels and were more tired at school, with 89 per cent saying hungry children fall behind academically.
In addition, recent research by the Food Foundation has found that 14 per cent of adults living with children reported experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity in the last six months, up from 11.5 per cent pre-Covid.
It is estimated this accounts for four million people including 2.3 million children.
The data also revealed that 12 per cent of adults have skipped meals because they could not afford or get access to food in the past six months.
A worrying four per cent of adults with children reported having gone for a whole day without eating in the past six months so they could feed their children.
Alex Cunningham, of Magic Breakfast, said: “Our research shows how much more is left to do to tackle child hunger as a barrier to learning, especially given the greater hardship facing many families in light of the pandemic.”
Heinz recently joined Marcus Rashford’s Child Food Poverty Task Force and aims to raise awareness of the extent and impact of child food poverty.
The England footballer said: “People claim education is the best means of combating poverty but that formula is only successful if children are able to engage with learning. No child can engage and sustain concentration on an empty stomach.”
