Free school meals are associated with improvements in reading and, in some countries, mathematics, according to a report by child-welfare NGO Educo. The report reviewed 45 publications from 10 OECD countries and argues that school dining can support learning as well as provide food.
In Spain, around 2.6 million children and teenagers—four in every 10 students—use school dining facilities each day. Educo says 1.2 million children and young people experiencing vulnerability miss out on grants and other support for the service, with costs preventing some families from using it. The organisation argues that making meals universally free would allow all pupils to benefit and reduce the stigma attached to receiving assistance.
The studies cited in the report found varied results. Primary schools in South Carolina and New York that offered free meals to all students recorded stronger mathematics outcomes. Improvements were also reported in London and among older primary pupils in South Korea. Effects in secondary school were limited, and a randomized trial in Denmark found no improvement in mathematics.
Reading was another area where the reviewed research found gains. In London, pupils with free access to school meals improved their results by the end of primary school. In Denmark, students who received free meals read faster and answered more exercises correctly; the reported improvement represented 11% to 25% of the progress expected over a full school year. In South Korea, secondary-school improvements were limited to Korean, while older students also made progress in English and mathematics.
Educo report coordinator Jon San Vicente suggested that social interaction during the midday break could help explain some language gains. The report also notes that pupils may find it easier to concentrate when they are not hungry. In Norway, teachers in one study reported greater classroom participation and a calmer atmosphere after lunch.
Free meals may also leave families with more money to spend on education. In South Korea, after universal school meals became free, 70% of households saw their disposable income rise. The study found indications that some of the savings went towards academic support activities outside school; participation in those activities increased by 22%, or about 0.4 additional activities per student each year.
A separate longitudinal study in Seoul found that free meals alone did not significantly affect grades. However, results varied with how common the assistance was at a school: the researchers suggested that stigma could offset potential benefits when few pupils received free meals, but was less of an issue when the provision was widespread.
The report also cites Swedish research on a programme introduced gradually across municipalities from 1959 to 1969. An analysis of records for more than 1.5 million people found that those who received free school meals throughout primary school earned 3% more over their working lives. Among people in the lowest-income quarter, the increase was 5.8%.
Sources: El País Educación.