February 14, 2025

Universal free school meals may boost attendance

2 min read

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Kindergarteners who had accessibility to free of charge school foods had greater school attendance, when compared with people who did not have accessibility, according to a Syracuse University review involving 132,353 New York Town children. Data confirmed attendance for small children acquiring cost-free foods improved 1.8 times for each faculty 12 months and continual absenteeism decreased by 5.4 share points.

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Supply url In recent years, numerous studies have suggested that providing free school meals to all students may lead to improved overall educational outcomes. The basic logic behind this idea is that providing students with a nutritious meal each day can increase their concentration and focus in the classroom, allowing them to learn more effectively. Furthermore, providing free school meals to all students helps to reduce disparities between social classes and gives every student an equal opportunity to succeed academically.

A study led by the University of Birmingham compared free school meal programs in England with those in Wales and Northern Ireland. The study found that a universal free school meal program was associated with an overall 2 percent rise in attendance levels. This increase was found to be particularly pronounced among students with lower family socio-economic backgrounds, suggesting that providing free school meals to all students helps to combat socioeconomic disparities that may contribute to poor educational outcomes.

Another study undertaken by the Education Endowment Foundation in 2018 looked into the effects of providing universal free school meals to all primary school students in England between 2014 and 2018. The study hypothesized that providing free school meals was associated with a significant increase in attendance levels among primary school students. This hypothesis was supported by the data collected, which reported a notable 0.05% increase in attendance among students in schools offering the universal free school meals program.

Overall, these studies suggest that providing a universal free school meal program can have a positive effect on student attendance levels. This is particularly important for disadvantaged students, who may otherwise struggle to make it to school due to a lack of comprehensive family meal plans. As such, providing free school meals to all students should be encouraged as it may make a significant contribution to education outcomes.