Hungry children
A survey of teachers by the EIS Scottish teaching union has uncovered a worrying increase in the number of pupils coming to school hungry and ill.
Over half of responses (51%) reported an increase in the number of pupils coming to school without any food, and almost a fifth (19%) said there was an increase in incidents of children asking for, or even stealing, food from other pupils. The survey also found an increase in children receiving free school meals and attending breakfast clubs.
Meanwhile, a huge 71% reported an increase in the number of children showing signs of mental health problems, including anxiety and stress.
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: The findings offer a stark warning of the deep and damaging impact of poverty and the politics of austerity on children and young people across the country”.