One in three children are going to school on an empty stomach

16th October 2009, 12:48pm

A leading head teacher has raised concerns that parents who regularly send their children to school without breakfast could be harming their education.

Mike Welsh, vice president of the National Association for Head Teachers, spoke out after a survey looking at breakfast eating habits revealed that 31% of parents allow their children to set off for school with empty stomachs. 

The nutella breakfast survey found that 30% of the school children missing out on this important meal feel tired as a result, with 11% admitting that they find their schoolwork more difficult as a result. 

The survey also revealed that a third of children never eat breakfast as a family on school days and two thirds only manage twice a week. 

With 40% of kids and 39% of parents agreeing that a lack of time in the morning was the deciding factor in skipping breakfast at home. 

Welsh said: "The results of this survey only confirm what 23 years experience as a teacher has already shown me: children need to start the day with full stomach to have a chance of achieving their full potential. 

"A hearty breakfast is as important to a child's learning as a full night's sleep. In the classroom you often see two children from identical backgrounds, yet they are engaging in learning in very different ways. One will be yawning and distracted, while the other is focussed and alert. More often than not, the one difference between the two will be whether or not they had breakfast."

Mr Welsh urges parents to get their children into a good morning routine, and involve their youngsters in the process of putting the meal together. 

"Get them involved," he added. "That way they learn some independence as well. And find the time to sit down with them and eat yourself. It's well documented that chatting with a young child over a meal gives their language skills a boost as well as nurturing them on an emotional level. You might need to set the alarm half an hour earlier, but by making breakfast an important starting point for every day, you are actually helping your child to learn.

"Breakfast is about giving your child the fuel he or she needs to get through until lunchtime. They might not feel hungry first thing, but by mid morning their energy levels will have dropped to such an extent they really struggle to concentrate in the classroom. 

"How can any parent expect their child to focus on learning to read, or a difficult numeracy lesson, on an empty stomach? This isn't just about feeding bellies - it's about feeding minds."

The kids themselves admitted that if they skipped breakfast at home 16% would eat crisps on the way to school, showing that they do have an appetite in the morning.

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