Back to School: Why Meal Scholarships Are Essential for Many Families

The start of the school year marks a routine of learning and reunion for children, but it also entails a significant financial burden. For thousands of families, the purchase of books, stationery, and clothing represents a difficult expense to bear.

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), more than 50% of families with dependent children experience difficulties making ends meet, while 1 in 3 children lives at risk of poverty. In vulnerable households, the cost of school meals can represent at least 7.6% of their annual income . Despite this reality, reports from the NGO Educo indicate that the current coverage of public aid barely reaches 13.14% of students in compulsory education, leaving nearly a million children at risk of poverty without access to this vital scholarship.

The Economic Impact of the School Year Start on Vulnerable Households

The September squeeze does not affect all families in the same way. In those households where income is tight or unstable, the expenses arising from the return to school force prioritisation of basic needs and cuts in essential areas.

The inflation and rising cost of the shopping basket have worsened this situation over the past few years. The recurring economic pressure generates uncertainty within the family unit and directly affects the quality of life of children, placing daily nutritional coverage in a position of fragility.

School Meals: More Than Just Financial Aid

Ensuring attendance at school meals is not solely about the need for work-life balance or economic relief.  The cafeteria is also an educational and social space, playing a significant role in the well-being and development of children:

• Balanced Nutrition: Ensures access to a complete, varied, and appropriate meal during the school day.
• Learning Healthy Habits: Promotes the acquisition of routines related to balanced eating and healthy lifestyle habits.
• Health and Well-being: Helps prevent nutritional deficiencies and other problems associated with inadequate eating during key growth stages.
• Relationships and Coexistence: Sharing this space allows children to build relationships with others in a safe and everyday environment.
• Development of Social Skills: The cafeteria helps work on aspects such as coexistence, autonomy, respect for others, and group participation.
• Equality of Opportunity: Facilitates access to adequate nutrition for children from different socioeconomic backgrounds, allowing them to participate in the same school dynamics.
• Prevention of School Absenteeism: Having access to meal services can help encourage attendance and continuity for children at the educational centre.
• Academic Performance: Adequate nutrition supports the energy, attention, and concentration needed during the school day.

The Work of Educo NGO and the Scope of Its Initiatives

Given the insufficiency of public aid to meet the existing demand, the action of the third sector is crucial. In this context, the contribution of Educo NGO stands out, an entity that continuously works to protect children's rights and combat child poverty.

Through specific programmes such as the Educo meal scholarships, the aim is to reach those areas where the public system does not reach. Not all scholarship applications are addressed, and in many cases, the public aid granted only covers part of the cost of meals: on average, around 69% of the price. For this reason, Meal Scholarships support both children from vulnerable families who have not been able to access a public scholarship and those who have only received partial aid.