INCREASING NUMBER OF STUDENTS RELY ON A FREE BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL

By Sarah Waters

SCHOOL students in the Northern Rivers are starting their day with improved focus, engagement and emotional regulation - thanks to a healthy breakfast.

More than two million breakfasts have been served to students in NSW, as part of Foodbank’s Breakfast 4 Health program.

The program has been running in schools across NSW since 2019 to ensure students can start each school day with a nutritious meal.

The NSW government recently injected $8 million into the program to expand it to more schools and help ease the cost-of-living pressures on families.

There are currently 500 schools which take part in the program.

Among them are a large number of Northern Rivers schools including Banora Point High School, Ballina Coast High School, Kyogle

Public School, Lismore South Public School, Murwillumbah East Public School and Tweed Heads South Public School.

Over the next four years it is estimated that 1000 schools across the state will adopt the program.

Foodbank, Australia’s largest food relief charity, states over 763,000 households in NSW and ACT went hungry in the last 12 months due to lack of funds.

With the growing cost of living pressures, 23 per cent of households in NSW are now classifed as ‘severely food insecure’.

Eighty per cent of schools which served a wholesome breakfast to students reported an increase in attendance and 89 per cent saw an increase in class engagement on days the program was run.

The School Breakfast 4 Health program has also to helped reduce absenteeism and productivity in the classroom.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car recently celebrated the success of the program.

Mr Minns said he always wanted to address the cost-of-living crisis and expanding the program was an important step to help families.

“Making sure children are getting the most out of their time at school is my number one priority,” he said.

“This starts by ensuring that they are not hungry in the classroom.”

Minister Car said it was an investment in children’s education and also helped struggling families.

Schools interested in participating in the program can apply directly to Foodbank via its website and are assessed according to need.