21 Feb Why So Many Australian Schools Are Serving Breakfast — and Why It Matters
Some schools now offer breakfast to students before the school day begins — while many others do not. In recent years, a growing number of Australian schools have introduced breakfast clubs or morning meal programs, often supported by community groups and charities. The trend reflects a broader concern among educators and health professionals about how what children eat — or don’t eat — before school can affect their learning, behaviour and wellbeing.
Jenny O’Dea considers the importance of breakfast to the health and educational prospects of school children.
Why are schools serving breakfast?
Does your local school serve breakfast to students? Have you noticed how many school breakfast clubs have been springing up lately? Many schools are now signing up for breakfast programs offered by charity organisations such as the Red Cross, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Lions Clubs, while others have established their own breakfast dining rooms.
So why is breakfast the flavour of the month? It has long been known that eating a nutritious breakfast is strongly associated with better academic performance and behaviour in the classroom. Feeding the brain results in greater concentration, less irritability and distraction, and improved school attendance. This is particularly true in communities where truancy is an ongoing problem, with schools finding that children are more likely to attend when breakfast and an opportunity to socialise are offered before class.
Sound nutrition also reduces school days lost to illness. Good food is important for physical wellbeing and immunity, but even more important for the daily functioning and growth of a child’s brain.
In a large national study of 5000 primary and high-school students from across Australia, I was surprised to find that nearly one in five primary-school students had consumed nothing for breakfast on the morning of the study, and this increased to one in four among high-school students.
What Australian children are eating — and missing
Research linking nutrition with learning has been well established for decades. What is increasingly evident, however, is the decline in everyday eating habits among school-aged children.
In my national study of 5000 primary and high-school students, nearly one in five primary-school children had eaten nothing for breakfast, rising to one in four among high-school students. Almost 30 per cent had consumed either nothing at all or nothing more than a non-nutritious drink such as water, soft drink, cordial, tea or coffee.
What was particularly concerning was that poor breakfast consumption occurred across all social groups. Many children were also missing out on basic food groups: one in six had eaten no fruit or vegetables in the three days prior to the study; one in four had eaten no cereal, pasta or rice; and one in 10 had drunk no milk. Unsurprisingly, around 20 per cent of the children were overweight or obese.
Why children skip breakfast
Focus groups with students revealed that time was the most common reason for skipping breakfast. Teenagers prioritised sleep, showers and appearance, while younger children preferred to watch television, play computer games or finish homework.
Many students said they would eat breakfast if their parents put it in front of them. Even children whose parents phoned from work to remind them were more likely to eat than those whose parents had given up trying. Interestingly, most breakfast-skippers reported regretting the decision, describing mid-morning hunger, nausea and difficulty concentrating.
The role of parents — and schools
The message for children is that breakfast needs to sit squarely in the middle of their morning routine. For parents, the task is to make it happen by providing nutritious foods and gentle reminders — without constant nagging.
While parents play a central role, schools and education departments are increasingly involved. Many states now mandate healthy food guidelines for school canteens, and schools are largely complying. Parents, teachers, principals and students agree that sound nutrition plays an important role in children’s health, behaviour and educational outcomes.
A familiar cycle of responsibility
In many ways, the renewed focus on school-based nutrition mirrors earlier periods in Australian history, when governments and schools played a more active role in child health. As national prosperity increased in the post-war years, many programs were dismantled on the assumption that children were being adequately fed at home.
Today, policy and practice appear to have come full circle, with nutrition once again recognised as fundamental to learning, wellbeing and long-term health.
Dr Jenny O’Dea is a dietitian and nutritionist and Honorary Professor in Health Education at the University of Sydney.
