JAKARTA - School children in the UK are reportedly suffering from food shortages amid the country's cost of living crisis.
Some of them are even said to be hiding in playgrounds because they were unable to afford lunch due to the UK's economic crisis.
As quoted by Tribune The Express, the Chefs in Schools charity has compiled a report and the report will be published next month. The Chefs in Schools group focused on the chef's healthy eating and training campaign to work in the school kitchen.
The charity received a report from a school in southeastern London, a child
" pretended to eat from an empty dining box" because they didn't want their friends to know they didn't have food at home.
The essence of the food poverty crisis in schools is two problems: the first is the school budget, which is under pressure due to rising energy costs, and the second is the eligibility to get free school food.
All schoolchildren in England are entitled to free school food from admission until the second year. However, so far only children whose parents earn less than £7.400 a year have met the requirements.
The Children's Poverty Action Group said this meant that 800,000 children in poverty did not meet the requirements to get this free school meal. "We hear about children who are so hungry that they eat rubber at school. Children come because they haven't eaten anything since lunch the day before. The government has to do something," said Naomi Duncan, Chief executive of Chefs in Schools.
Duncan meminta semua anak dari keluarga dengan kesejahteraan, yang dikenal sebagai kredit universal, memenuhi syarat untuk mendapatkan makan sekolah gratis. Posisi ini didukung oleh satu guru.
He added that Chefs in Schools actively often goes out and looks for children hiding in the playground because they think they can't get food. The chef then gave them food.
The Association of National Principals, Paul Gosling, said that of course schools would intervene in handling this case. But he said the government must continue to provide support.
Referring to data from market researcher NielsenIQ reported by Reuters on Wednesday, about 57 percent of UK consumers are severely or moderately affected by the life-cost crisis so far. In three months that figure is expected to increase to 76 percent.
Britishs are facing inflation which hit 9.9 percent in August and is expected to increase further this year, largely driven by a surge in energy prices.
Mike Watts, head of retailer and business insight NielsenIQ UK, said Britain's economic crisis caused many households to save. He said consumers are increasingly focused on their weekly food costs to help manage the budget.
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