Every day children go to school without having enough to eat. However, Quebec would have the resources to fund a universal school feeding program, the Institute for Socio-Economic Research and Information (IRIS) suggests today. Estimated annual cost: 1.7 billion.
Published at 12:47 am. Updated at 05:00.
It’s not unusual to offer children a full meal once a day at school. Finland and Brazil do it. In the United States, six states have introduced such a measure in recent years.
In our country, one in five children suffers from some form of food insecurity, IRIS notes in a study released Thursday morning, or about 200,000 school-age young people. Accordingly, the Institute recommends establishing such a program in the province.
In fact, it’s “astonishing” that this hasn’t happened yet, says Anne Plourde, the study’s author.
“On average, in high-income countries, 61% of primary school children have access to a subsidized meal at their schools, compared to 12% in Canada. “We are worse off than low-income countries,” the researcher continues, adding: “Together we would have the means to finance this.”
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Anne Plourde, researcher at the Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information
To this end, IRIS proposes to reduce payments to the Generation Fund. “We could finance this program this year with just under half of the amount paid into the Generations Fund,” says Anne Plourde, who explains that Quebec only devotes 0.35% of its education budget to food measures.
She also recalls that Quebec deprived taxpayers of 1.7 billion by cutting taxes in the recent budget.
Unequal services
Currently, the meals offered in schools vary depending on the region of Quebec. This applies to food assistance programs, but also to paid hot meals.
According to data from IRIS under the Access to Information Act, only 59% of schools in Quebec offer lunchtime meal service. Many rely on an external catering service.
“In several regions it is considered unprofitable to offer such a service because the school density is not large enough and the travel distances for delivery are too long. There are regions such as the North Coast where no primary school child has access to a midday meal, while in Laval all children have access to a midday meal. Warm meal,” notes Anne Plourde.
In its calculations, IRIS also estimated the cost of building kitchens in “a minority” of schools where this would be mandatory.
Most schools have the option to prepare meals on site or, in secondary schools, cook meals and deliver them to surrounding primary schools.
Anne Plourde, author of the study
Why offer free meals to everyone when some can afford to pay for them? Studies show that free education increases student participation and ensures that the most disadvantaged children are not denied access to the program for financial reasons, the researcher says.
“If the program is universal and free, access to meals is considered a right. There is no connection between poverty and access to the program,” explains Anne Plourde.
Current food aid programs are “very restrictive,” Ms. Plourde added.
“These are underfunded programs that fail to achieve their goals and have stigmatizing effects on children,” she continues.
Few studies have examined what it would cost to implement such a measure in Quebec. In April, the Parti Québécois brought up the idea again, but did not specify it.
Just last year, the Coalition for Healthy School Food called on Quebec to implement such a universal school feeding program.
“Just like education, access to healthy and sustainable food must be viewed as a public good and an inalienable right,” he said in his open letter.
Signatories included teachers’ unions, parent groups, nutritionists, as well as organizations that provide meals for the most disadvantaged young people.
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998 104 Number of preschool, primary and secondary school students in Quebec in 2022-2023
SOURCE: Quebec Ministry of Education