FREE school breakfasts provided to disadvantaged Primary 3 pupils for just one year could generate up to £200 million for the Scottish economy, a new report has found.
Giving the meals to disadvantaged children aged six to seven could result in long term economic benefits in excess of £9000 per child, according to the study by Pro Bono Economics in partnership with children’s charity Magic Breakfast and Heinz.
With an estimated 22,103 pupils in Primary 3 in schools across Scotland at high levels of disadvantage, this figure amounts to nearly £200m in benefits.
The findings follow a recent SNP pledge to provide free school breakfasts and lunches all year to all primary school pupils if re-elected in May and indicate that this commitment could not only improve children’s academic outcomes, but also boost the economy. The Scottish Greens and Tories also support free school meals for primary children.
READ MORE: John Swinney: Hunger doesn’t take a holiday and neither can our support
Existing evidence from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that school breakfast provision targeted at schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged children improves children’s educational attainment.
The new report looks at the long-term economic benefits of that improved attainment, which is largely a result of increased life-time earnings from employment.
To reach their conclusions the researchers analysed the long-term economic benefits of school breakfast provision for Year 2 pupils in England then applied them to the equivalent year group in Scotland.
They found that even after subtracting the £180 per pupil cost of school breakfasts, the provision had the potential to generate net long-term benefits in excess of £9000 per child with approximately £4000 of the amount going to the
Government through increased tax revenue and reduced public services costs.
The report found that more than 90% of the benefits were likely to be in the form of improved life-time earnings for the beneficiaries, with the remainder due to reduced costs for special educational needs, truancy and exclusions.
THIS means that every £1 spent on the programme could generate more than £50 in benefits, making it a highly cost-effective intervention, according to the researchers.
Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney said the report showed that investing in school breakfasts was a “win-win for Scotland”.
“Our pledge to provide universal free school breakfasts and lunches to all primary pupils will help to tackle child hunger, support children in catching up on the learning they have missed out on during Covid-19, and generate long-term economic benefits that will help our country recover from this unprecedented crisis,” he said.
Jon Franklin, Pro Bono Economics’ chief economist agreed. “School breakfast provision may be one of the most cost-effective ways the Scottish Government can ensure greater earning potential for pupils in schools with high levels of disadvantaged children,” he said.
ALYSA Remtulla, head of policy and campaigns at Magic Breakfast, added: “We know from the schools we support that a school breakfast ensures a child starts the day feeling settled, valued and ready to learn.
“As Scotland looks towards Covid-19 recovery, this report is proof that school breakfasts could tackle the widening educational attainment gap and contribute to repairing the economy. This is a smart and cost-effective investment for the Scottish Government.”
A Magic Breakfast has already become an integral part of the school routine at Bowhouse Primary School in Grangemouth.
“When children haven’t eaten their breakfast, be it because they haven’t had time or there was nothing in the cupboard that morning, we can’t expect them to be ready to learn,” said Breakfast Club coordinator Charlotte McManus.
Georgiana de Noronha, president of Northern Europe at Heinz said the report showed just how “vital” school breakfast provision could be.
“This is a critical moment in the fight against child hunger in the UK and we applaud the commitments made thus far by Scottish parties to provide universal free school breakfasts for primary school pupils. This will not only help bridge the attainment gap, but as we can see here, will also bring long-term economic benefits to Scotland,” she said.
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