National Strategy Group for Hunger Prevention in Schools
ABOUT US:
The National Strategy Group for Hunger Prevention in Schools, established by the Educational Disadvantage Centre in 2013-2014, is composed of the following organisations:
Barnardos; Children's Rights Alliance; Focus Ireland; FORSA; INTO; Irish Primary Principals Network; National Parents Council Primary, as well as DCU's Educational Disadvantage Centre
Children going hungry in Irish schools impacts upon their well-being, concentration and attention levels, learning and motivation, as well as heightening risk of aggressive behaviour in class and with peers*. A systematic national strategy to prevent hunger in school is not currently in place. Current initiatives include the School Meals Programme funded by the Department of Social Protection and Breakfast Clubs facilitated by School Completion Programme through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Yet these are not systematically available for all children in need. Not every School Completion Programme includes breakfast clubs and school participation in the School Meals Programme is varied and requires a school principal to apply to be part of it. Unlike countries such as Britain, France and Poland, Irish schools have poor infrastructure for meals in schools, with little investment historically in kitchen facilities in schools.
To overcome the fragmentation of strategy and policy in this area to date in Ireland, there is a real need for one State body to be responsible for developing the strategy, implementation and monitoring of this hunger prevention/healthy eating in schools/school kitchens strategy. While more than one kind of local agency may have the named, specific responsibility for delivering high quality food and cooking activities onsite in school, any such local agency must be firmly rooted in a national strategic response reporting to the one State body with overall responsibility for this area.
It needs to be recognised that two distinct spaces are needed in schools, one for cooking and one as a space for eating, both of which meet required hygiene standards. A dual system may need to be put in place at least initially, where some schools with kitchens would have the food cooked and prepared on the school premises, whereas other schools would receive food externally cooked and transported to the schools.
State commitment to an infrastructure dimension to this strategy, to build kitchens in schools and provide adequate staffing levels, would clearly be required. This would involve a phased roll-out of kitchens in schools, starting with priority of need but ultimately envisaged as a universal programme so that kitchens in schools would be as natural a part of the school building as a PE hall, parents room or computer room.
The issue of adequate time in the school day for eating such hot lunches needs to be addressed. While this may be tailored to individual needs of schools, administratively the easiest time for such hot food may be immediately after the school day, as an afterschool dimension.
A curricular dimension to avail of kitchens in schools is another important aspect of such a strategy. Food can be a resource integrated across areas such as maths, science and sphe. ´ó·¢ÌåÓýÔÚÏß_´ó·¢ÌåÓý-Ͷע|¹ÙÍøover, it can offer a vital bridge to cultural expression of ethnic minorities, to involve such parents further in the school.
*Background data
Based on data collected in 2010 from 12,661 10-17 year olds in Ireland from randomly selected schools throughout the country (Callaghan et al. 2010), 20.9% of schoolchildren in Ireland report going to school or bed hungry because there is not enough food at home. This figure represents a slight increase from 16.6% in 2006. ´ó·¢ÌåÓýÔÚÏß_´ó·¢ÌåÓý-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø boys (22.4%) report that they go to school or bed hungry than girls (19.3%). ´ó·¢ÌåÓýÔÚÏß_´ó·¢ÌåÓý-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø children in the 10-11 year old age group report going to school or bed hungry at 26.8%, which is an increase from 18.3% in 2006. Children who report going to school or bed hungry are more likely to report having bullied others. These figures are of serious concern. However, they are likely to be an underestimate of the current situation as the effects of austerity budgets have come into force. A 2013 IPPN survey of over 600 primary school principals found that over 20% of primary principals observed an increase in children coming to school hungry.
CAITRIONA REDMOND: FAMILIES FACE A CHOICE BETWEEN FOOD AND FUEL. I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE
Irish Examiner Tuesday 22/02/22
'As I write, I can feel the anxiety rising in my chest like bile. Feeding my family; making sure they are warm and having a roof over our heads is sacrosanct.' READ MORE
'LITERALLY RAVENOUS': 25% OF IRISH CHILDREN IN FOOD POVERTY
Irish Examiner Tuesday 22/02/22
A survey of more than 1,100 people, the majority with children, had found that a quarter were worried about not being able to provide food for children in their care, rising to 34% for those not working, writes Noel Baker - Social Affairs Correspondent. READ MORE
ONE IN 10 PARENTS SKIP MEALS TO AFFORD FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN, SURVEY FINDS
Irish Times, Monday February 21st 2022
Charity says ¡®too many¡¯ families are deprived of access to ¡®fundamental essentials¡¯. Some 19 per cent of those looking after children who responded to the survey said they have skipped meals themselves or reduced portion size, so their family and children have enough to eat, with the number increasing to 40 per cent for those not working, writes Shauna Bowers. READ MORE
MINISTER HUMPHREYS LAUNCHES HOT SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAMME 2021: RECORD 35,000 STUDENTS TO BENEFIT
Department of Social Protection. March 25th 2021. Read Press Release here
35,000 MORE CHILDREN TO GET HOT MEALS AT SCHOOL THANKS TO €5.5M BOOST
The Journal.ie Wednesday 14th October 2020
The government is to extend the hot school meals pilot programme, at a cost of €5.5m. READ MORE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: NEW D?IL MUST TRY TO ELIMINATE CHILD POVERTY
Irish Examiner, Thursday 20th February 2020
On this, the United Nations¡¯ (UN) World Day of Social Justice, it is imperative that we take action to tackle poverty, social and economic exclusion and unemployment. READ MORE
FREE HOT MEALS FOR 35,000 MORE SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM SEPTEMBER
Irish Times Monday January 13th 2020
Pilot shows hot food ¡®not just nutritious¡¯ but guarantees better education, Minister says. Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty wants all primary school children, regardless of income bracket, to eventually get a hot meal daily at school, writes Kitty Holland. READ MORE
HOT SCHOOL MEALS SHOULD BE A ROUTINE FACT OF IRISH LIFE
Irish Times, Saturday October 12th 2019
Patchiness of Government scheme shows up the extent of food extremes that coexist here, writes Diarmaid Ferriter. READ MORE
HOT SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL A SOLID START IN BATTLE AGAINST CHILD POVERTY
Irish Times, Saturday September 14th 2019
We trail our European cousins when it comes to providing nourishment to school children. It was heralded as a long-overdue opportunity to help children and struggling families. A Government-funded pilot scheme to provide hot meals to school children was supposed to bring Ireland into line with other European countries. But records released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Department of Social Protection turned down 470 primary schools who applied to the scheme. While 36 will benefit from the move, campaigners say that free hot meals in schools should be more widely available, writes Peter McGuire. READ MORE
SCHOOLS ¡®MUST PLAY BIGGER ROLE IN TACKLING HUNGER AND INADEQUATE SLEEP¡¯
Irish Examiner, Thursday September 2nd 2017
Issues such as tackling inadequate sleep and hunger need to play a bigger role in how Irish schools combat disadvantage, according to the author of a European Commission report. Paul Downes, director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre at Dublin City University (DCU), has also called for teams to provide community-based services in and around schools tailored to young people and their parents, writes Niall Murray. READ MORE
PUPILS IN POOR AREAS MISS OUT ON FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Irish Independent, April 15th 2015
´ó·¢ÌåÓýÔÚÏß_´ó·¢ÌåÓý-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø than 100 schools serving the most disadvantaged communities cannot avail of a programme to serve food to pupils in need because they lack the necessary facilities and personnel. One in five children go to school or bed hungry, and the Government is providing almost €40m this year for the School Meals Programme in a bid to help tackle the problem, writes Katherine Donnelly. READ MORE
PUPILS STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS IN CLASSROOM
Irish Independent, December 1st 2009
SOME pupils are coming to school hungry while a sizeable number are suffering from emotional and sleep problems, research shows. But poverty is only one reason for the lack of food, according to the research project. In some cases, poor sleeping patterns and anxiety were to blame, while anorexia was a possible factor for girls. Dr Paul Downes, of St Patrick's College of Education in Drumcondra, Dublin, was involved in research in a number of disadvantaged schools where, on average, 10pc of first-year pupils were not getting enough food to function effectively in class, writes John Walshe. READ MORE
POOR SCHOOLWORK LINKED TO HUNGER IN DUBLIN STUDY
Irish Times, Saturday December 9th 2006
Almost 20 per cent of children attending primary schools in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the State are either often or very often "too hungry" to do their schoolwork, a study on early school leaving has found, writes Kitty Holland. READ MORE
INVITED PRESENTATION TO MINISTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH AFFAIRS, KATHERINE ZAPPONE, SENIOR CHILDREN¡¯S MINISTRY AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS OFFICIALS & SENIOR TUSLA (NATIONAL CHILD AND FAMILY AGENCY) OFFICIALS. FARMLEIGH, THE OFFICIAL IRISH STATE GUEST HOUSE, JAN 29, 2018. Dr Downes' presentation, School Completion Programme Strategy before Structures: What is the Strategic Vision for SCP can be accessed HERE
POSITION STATEMENT OF HUNGER PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS WORKING GROUP
FOCUS IRELAND SUBMISSION ON STATEMENT OF STRATEGY 2016-2018 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION JUNE 2016
JOINT OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND SOCIAL PROTECTION
Two members of the Hunger Prevention in Schools Group, established by the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Padraig McCabe (IPPN) and Sinead Keenan (Healthy Food for All) gave a presentation on this issue to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection on December 16, 2015.
You can access the IPPN presentation here
Please see The Irish Times coverage of this event here
A REVIEW OF DEIS: INTO AND EDC CONFERENCE
Sinead Keenan, Project Coordinator at Healthy Food for All conducted a workshop on a Hunger Prevention in Schools Strategy at the INTO/EDC joint conference, A Review of DEIS on Saturday December 5th 2015. Her presentation can be accessed here
D?IL QUESTION FROM JONATHAN O'BRIEN (CORK NORTH CENTRAL, SINN FEIN) Wednesday December 9th 2015
A PLAN TO END POVERTY AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Tuesday December 8th 2015
Together with Start Strong and National Youth Council of Ireland, The Children¡¯s Rights Alliance launched their plan to end child and youth poverty, for which they are advocating in the next Programme for Government. ´ó·¢ÌåÓýÔÚÏß_´ó·¢ÌåÓý-Ͷע|¹ÙÍø here to access this document
ERADICATING FOOD POVERTY AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN IRELAND
Healthy Food for All¡¯s National Conference on Eradicating Food Poverty among Children and Young People in Ireland took place on 15 April 2015 in Dublin, #foodpovconf. The conference heard that food poverty is on the rise in Ireland with over 600,000 people now experiencing the problem. Policymakers and practitioners alike highlighted the need for a National Strategy on Food to ensure the affordability, accessibility and availability of healthy food for children and young people in Ireland.
LAUNCH OF REPORT
MEETINGS WITH POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES
On Wednesday December 17th, 2014, Aine Lynch, Gerry Murphy, Sinead Keenan and Paul Downes had meetings with the Fianna F¨¢il Education Spokesperson, Charlie McConalogue and the Sinn F¨¦in, Education Spokesperson, Jonathan O'Brien in Leinster House to discuss the Group's Hunger Prevention in School Document to advocate for the development of a National Strategy for Hunger Prevention in School.
HOT LUNCH CAMPAIGN SUCCESS!!!
¡®All of everyone¡¯s above efforts and actions resulted in the decision being over turned and our wonderful Junior school being given the green light for all of our amazing children here to be provided with Hot lunch school meals. We are overjoyed with the success of the campaign and the result, and we thank everyone that got behind our school. Take a look at the school website to see some of our hard work during the campaign¡¯. READ MORE
LUNCHTIME LIVE with Andrea Gilligan. Newstalk FM
Andrea Gilligan spoke with Derabhla Byrne, Principal of Knockmore Junior School in Killinarden, Tallaght on Wednesday May 18th 2021 about the school¡¯s campaign to be included for hot school lunches. LISTEN BACK HERE @00.48.50
CALLS FOR HOT SCHOOL-MEAL SCHEME TO BE EXPANDED
Irish Times, Monday 17th May 2021
One school in area designated ¡®very disadvantaged¡¯ is only one excluded from programme. Campaigners are calling for a massive expansion in the free hot school-meals programme saying the exclusion of thousands of children, even in the poorest areas, is ¡°deeply unjust¡±. The calls come as it emerged a school in an area designated as ¡°very disadvantaged¡± is the only one in its community excluded from the programme, writes Kitty Holland. READ MORE
GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS CONTINUED FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS MEALS PROGRAMME
Gov.ie Thursday March 26th 2020
Government has today (Thursday 26 March 2020) issued schools with updated guidance to help them operate the School Meals Programme amid the extended COVID-19 restrictions.
From: Department of Education and Skills. READ MORE
CORONAVIRUS: MEET THE TEACHER DELIVERING SCHOOL MEALS TO PUPILS BY BUS
Irish Times Thursday March 26th 2020
School closures mean many disadvantaged children are unable to get lunch and dinner. While many teachers are giving remote classes online during the school closures, one teacher is delivering something even more important: meals for pupils in disadvantaged homes. S¨ªle McDonnell, a teacher and home school community liaison with St Mary¡¯s Primary School, Dorset Street in Dublin¡¯s north inner city, works with the vulnerable families in her school, writes Michelle McBride and Carl O'Brien. READ MORE
GOVERNMENT EXAMINING HOW TO CONTINUE WITH MEALS FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN DURING SCHOOL CLOSURE
The Journal, March 19th 2020
The Minister for Education acknowledged that many children rely on programmes such as the breakfast club at their schools. The government is examining how it can continue with its school meals programmes for vulnerable children while schools across the country are closed, writes Michelle Hennessy. READ MORE
NO-DEAL BREXIT WILL HIT POOR ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER FIRST AND HARDEST
Irish Times, Monday September 2nd 2019
In 2011 there was just one food bank in Northern Ireland, today there are 23. If the UK crashes out of the EU at the end of October without a deal it will have major implications for households on both sides of the Border through changes in the cost of living, employment, pay and government spending writes Tricia Keilthy. READ MORE
NO PLACE FOR 470 SCHOOLS ON HOT MEALS FOR CHILDREN SCHEME
Irish Times, Monday 26th August 2019
Figures show gravity of ¡®food poverty¡¯ problem facing families trying to feed youngsters. A total of 470 primary schools countrywide have been refused a place on a Government-funded pilot scheme to give children a hot meal during the day, writes Brian Hutton. READ MORE
FREE HOT MEALS COULD BE INTRODUCED IN ALL SCHOOLS UNDER PROPOSED PLAN
Irish Times, Monday January 28th 2019
Free hot meals could be made available to every school in the country under a plan to be proposed by Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty. Ms Doherty will on Monday launch the first Hot School Meals scheme before a larger pilot initiative is introduced to 36 schools in September. Some 7,200 children will benefit from the scheme this September at a cost of €1 million for this year and €2.5 million in a full year, write Jennifer Bray. READ MORE
FIRST SERVING OF HOT SCHOOL MEALS PROJECT COMMENCES IN INCHICORE
On Monday, 28 January, 2019, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D. launched a Hot School Meals scheme for Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Goldenbridge, Inchicore when visiting the school with local T.D. Catherine Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Health. READ MORE
HOT SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAMME CAN CHANGE LIVES ¨C PRINCIPAL
¡®Some picked out the vegetables, saying they had only ever seen them in pictures¡¯. A new national hot school meals programme ¡°has the potential to be hugely transformative¡± for children, according to the principal of the first school in the scheme writes Kitty Holland. READ MORE
SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAMME: D?IL ?IREANN DEBATE, TUESDAY - 6 NOVEMBER 2018
1073. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the details of the new hot school meals pilot programme for DEIS schools to commence in 2019; the process and criteria for schools to be selected for this pilot; the timeframe for roll-out; the length of time it will be rolled out for; the person or body evaluating the scheme; if the pilot meets the nutrition standards for schools¡¯ meals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45159/18]. VIEW THE ANSWER HERE
DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN ¡®GET POOR SCHOOL MEALS¡¯: FEW SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOT FOOD BECAUSE OF A LACK OF CANTEENS
The Sunday Times, February 11th 2018
Some of the food served to children in disadvantaged areas under the school meals programme is ¡°wholly unacceptable¡±, one of the scheme¡¯s main providers has claimed. Correspondence between Carambola Kidz, which supplies school meals to more than 30,000 children each day, and the Department of Social Protection, which oversees the programme, suggests that a lack of regulation means there is no guarantee the food served by some small suppliers meets recommended standards. The scheme provides food to 230,000 children in 1,540 schools. Carambola Kidz wants the department to increase the amount of money set aside for meals, which is currently 60c for breakfast, €1.40 for lunch and €1.90 for dinner, because the level has not increased for more than a decade, writes Colin Coyle
The Community Foundation for Ireland and the Children's Rights Alliance hosted a sector convening to discuss the root causes of food poverty, how Covid-19 has exposed the issue, and how philanthropy might make change in this area.
A recording of this session is available HERE
World Food Programme ¨C 2020 State of School Feeding Worldwide
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