An survey of over 500 primary and secondary school teachers has revealed that not eating breakfast is having serious effects on education.
19% of teachers - one in five – have reported an increase in the number of children arriving at school hungry, with nearly 40% of teachers taking in food to give to particular children who are regularly hungry.
Nearly a third say they have seen children fall asleep in class due to lack of food.
A fifth of teachers in Ireland say that they see children arrive hungry every day, causing poor concentration. Three out of four teachers believe that missing breakfast leads to poor exam performance and poorer results.
Due to poor concentration, teachers estimate that an average of 57 minutes of learning time is lost per day, adding up to six weeks over the course of a year.
The survey results shine a worrying light on poverty in Ireland.
Michael McDonagh, Senior Manager for Food Services with the Crosscare food bank said: “Across the Island of Ireland, over a quarter of children under 18 are now living below the poverty line. We work with state agencies and registered charities that identify individuals or families and refer them to the food bank."
"We see families visit us on a weekly basis, and the demand is getting bigger. Our idea of what food poverty is has completely changed, we meet families in which both the husband and wife are working but they have to pay a mortgage and keep their car on the road and it’s the family’s food that suffers.”
The study, commissioned by Kellogg's, flags up the need for Breakfast Clubs and other food programs, particularly in poorer areas of Ireland.
In order to provide better nutrition for children in disadvantaged areas, Kellogg's has announced a partnership with Barnardos in Ireland. Together they will provide breakfast to children who attend Barnardos services and breakfast clubs.
Fergus Finlay, the Chief Executive of Barnardos, said: “We provide breakfast to children attending Barnardos services and in our Breakfast Clubs in schools to support children’s attendance and participation in education. By ensuring children have a nutritious breakfast each morning, we are helping them to concentrate throughout the day, enabling them to learn and achieve their potential in life.”
As part of their ‘Breakfast for Better Days’ initiative, Kellogg's have also launched a ‘Buy a Box – Give a Bowl’ promotion where each box of cereal sold will mean one serving of cereal donated to food banks, alongside their usual regular donations.
Kellogg's aims to donate one billion servings of cereal and snacks worldwide by the end of 2016.
