NewsRescue
According to research released on Friday by the educational charity Sutton Trust, more than half of teachers in England believe the number of students ineligible for free school lunches and unable to afford a meal is increasing.
According to the organization’s poll, 52% of senior leaders in state schools saw the number of those students increase during the autumn term, reaching 59% of those in the most deprived schools.
More than half (54%) of state school teachers polled by Sutton Trust reported that more children were arriving at school without proper outerwear, and 74% reported an increase in the number of students who were tired or unable to concentrate.
According to the survey, which included over 6,200 teachers from schools across England, 38% of those polled saw an increase in the number of students arriving at school hungry, while 17% saw an increase in the number of families requesting referrals to food banks. The figures were 56% and 27%, respectively, in the most deprived schools.
Over the past year, Britain has faced a cost-of-living and energy crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has been exacerbated by sanctions against Russia as well as a reduction in Russian energy supplies to Europe. Over the last year, consumer spending has been steadily declining, with households being forced to cut costs at every turn. In October, the annual inflation rate in the United Kingdom reached 11.1%, the highest level in 40 years.
The Bank of England announced the largest interest rate increase in more than three decades last month. To combat inflation, the key rate was increased by three-quarters of a percentage point to 3%, the highest level since November 2008. The regulator also predicted that the British economy would experience a “prolonged” recession, possibly the longest in modern history, with no recovery until 2024.
