More children going hungry in school holidays, survey finds
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Growing numbers of children are not getting enough food to eat over the school holidays, research has found.
A survey of 657 secondary school teachers by the National Education Union (NEU) found that teachers thought holiday hunger is affecting more children now than three years ago and there is a strong concern that local initiatives designed to tackle it - including food banks - are not equipped to meet demand.
Nearly six out of 10 teachers said children in their school experienced holiday hunger, with 51 per cent of respondents stating that in the last three years the situation in their school had got worse and 26 per cent saying it had stayed the same.
More than half (59 per cent) of teachers said provision in their area was insufficient to tackle holiday hunger. By contrast, just five per cent thought that it would be enough.
The findings of the survey come after the government announced a £2m fund to cover the cost of a range of projects designed to provide healthy meals and activities for disadvantaged families during the school holidays.
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Ros McNeil, NEU assistant general secretary, said: "Teachers are acutely aware of the devastating effects of holiday hunger on children's mental and physical wellbeing. Such extensive poverty simply should not exist in a country with the fifth-largest economy.
"Food banks, faith groups and charitable/voluntary organisations are now being left to pick up the pieces where central government has failed.
"Of the services available, demand will clearly outstrip supply. It is shameful that the safety net is so threadbare. The government must take steps to tackle the issue of holiday hunger through properly funded and resourced programmes.
"Given the scale of the problem the announcement of £2m additional funds to help disadvantaged children with food and fun over the holidays, while welcome, goes nowhere near far enough to tackle the desperate plight of families and children."
A report last year by Buttle UK found requests for destitution support spike during the summer holidays, as families do not have access to free school meals.
