What is the reason for this?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/s...fed-by-their-teachers

So 79% of teachers claim that pupils turn up hungry, I note that 'hungry' was not defined and as kids are always hungry (having had four myself I am a pretty good authority) what does this actually mean?

2/3 of teachers in the teachers survey reckon it's down to lack of care (busy trying to get to work?, not bothering because the child 'accessory' is now becoming a pain perhaps? )

Hardly surprising from a bunch of left wingers 57% blamed lack of money. This I am very doubtful about. I wonder how many of these parents pitch up to the school fag in hand? Food does not have to be expensive(so long as you are not trying to fed your family from the takeaway or ready meals).

So, fellow ABers, what are your thoughts?

[ummmm]

Because peoples circumstances change.

[murraymints]

It does happen unfortunately due to neglect, my coz is a head of a primary and has a budget for a few sarnnies etc if a child appears with no lunch or money...

[RevArkwright]

It is a crime to starve in Britain today.

[naomi24]

Ummmm, we're talking about a major problem here - not a one off, or even a few. When a majority of teachers claim that children come to school hungry, something is very wrong at home. That's what we should be addressing. There is no excuse.

[ummmm]

I said earlier that my kids don't eat breakfast. I don't eat breakfast either. It's not because we don't have food, we just don't like eating that early.

[jackthehat]

'claim' and 'reckon' ?!?

Hardly definitive.....

[boxtops]

I've seen kids on the way to school every day - I have seen the carefully prepared packed lunch binned before they get on the train, and a whole pack of Twix bought and eaten for breakfast. Packed lunch isn't cool.

[naomi24]

Ummmm, no one has suggested your children go hungry - but some do and that's what needs to be addressed.

Got to go. See you later. x

[factor-fiction]

It's more cool to throw your packed lunch sandwiches than be seen eating them.
It happens in other countries too- we had a German exchange student stay at our house for a week. Every day we gave him a healthy, tasty packed lunch before he set off with my son to Chester or wherever they were going for that day. At the end of the week after he'd set off back to Germany we opened the drawer in the bedroom to find six still-wrapped packed lunches. I wonder if the teachers assumed we were starving him.

[anneasquith]

id be interested to read how many teachers skipped breakfast, a large % of children and adults dont have breakfast.

[whatwhat]

Everybody has a different bench mark when it comes to saying they are poor. But in this country, especially if you have children we are lucky enough to have a benefits system that ensures you do have enough money to feed your children and yourselves. Older children are perhaps not choosing to eat the food in the cupboard because its not to their liking? Personally though I can't believe one can't afford to feed their children unless money is being spent elsewhere...

[ummmm]

Not everyone is entitled to benefits.

[ludwig]

// It is a crime to starve in Britain today. //

I think that's a bit harsh. It's bad enough being hungry without them wanting to prosecute you as well.

[sp1814]

I work in an office with about 100 people and virtually none of us bother with breakfast. I barely remember having breakfast myself growing up, because I've never liked eating before 10:00 in the morning.

The question of 'hunger' should be treated carefully. If these kids wake up hungry, have no access to food at home and are hungry throughout the morning until they can have something to eat at lunchtime, then that's a serious problem.

However, if (like many people), they skip breakfast and start getting hungry at 11:00, then that's...well...that's down to them.

[pastafreak]

If someone is really that skint that they can't feed their children-then there are-in most cases-local agencies that will provide emergency food packs to get them through tough times.
Maybe there should be some communication between schools and these groups so that parents are aware of this help.

[daffy654]

My son has a large bowl of cereal every morning, if he thought he was going to get more food from the teacher he would happily lie and say he hadn't had breakfast, I wonder how many of the kids included in this statistic did the same?

[TheOtherHalf]

some kids are always hungry. They could have a breakfast at home but be hungry again by the time school starts. if then the teacher feed them, she would be helping to cause them to be obese