UK teens face hunger amid economic challenges

As reported by BBC News, a survey by the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) reveals that 11% of UK teenagers are skipping meals weekly due to economic hardships, raising concerns about the impact on their learning experiences

“Many parts of the world are experiencing a food crisis, with families struggling to put food on the table,” the Pisa report says.

“Millions of students, including from some of the richest countries, are often struggling to get fed.”

In Portugal, Finland and the Netherlands less than 3% of teenagers told the survey they had skipped at least one meal a week because of a lack of money, over the previous 30 days.

But this rose to:

• 11% in the UK and Lithuania
• 13% in the US
• 19% in Turkey

If pupils are hungry, the report points out, they are unlikely to learn as effectively.