Money troubles and a lack of interest from parents are forcing more and more children to fend for themselves in the morning leading to many sitting at their desks with empty tummies, according to a report by Kellogg’s.
Four out of five (79%) of the teachers surveyed said children are hungry in morning lessons and more than half (54%) revealed this had risen over the last year as the recession, unemployment and benefit cuts take hold.
A combination of parental apathy (68%) and a lack of money (57%) are forcing children to go to school with more than a hunger to learn as many parents have simply lost interest or are too worried about other things to send their children off with the best start in the morning, the research shows.
School breakfast clubs are widely regarded as a cost-effective way to tackle child hunger in the morning. However, recent reports reveal that 40% of breakfast clubs have closed in cash strapped schools across England in the last year.
Karin Woodley, chief executive from education charity ContinYou, said: “Many families are really struggling financially and in extreme cases, this means that there simply isn’t enough food to go round. Breakfast clubs can provide a lifeline for these families so we’re extremely concerned to hear that many are being forced to close.”