Increasing numbers of children are arriving at school hungry every day, a survey has found. 

211 primary and secondary school teachers were surveyed by Kellog Ireland and 78% of them said they have hungry children in their classroom every week and 40% say it happens every day. 

73% of teachers believe the problem has become worse in recent years and Shane Loftus, Principal of Our Lady Immaculate School in Darndale in Dublin, said the problem is not just confined to deprived areas. 

D4YB61 Schoolgirl eating pasta at school

“We would have seen this for a long time,” he said. 

“But now, just talking to colleagues working in more affluent areas, they’re now seeing it coming through in their [areas] as well. 

“So, people are often calling me and saying, ‘What do you do in your school? How does it work in your school?’ And looking for advice on how to alleviate the problems in their schools now as well.” 

A majority of teachers said that hungry children find it harder to concentrate and that disruptive behaviour becomes more common.

Main image: A school child. Picture by: Alamy.com