60% of needy children are not included in the Ministry of Education's school feeding program

About 60% of children who are in a state of food insecurity are not included in the Ministry of Education's feeding program, according to an analysis of data from the feeding program and data on food insecurity. According to data from the Knesset Research and Information Center, in the 2023/24 school year, about 500,000 students in kindergartens and schools received food, and a similar number was recorded in 2024/25.

Two things overshadow the feeding program: first, it is implemented only in kindergartens and elementary schools; second, educational institutions do not realize the full potential of the project due to the lack of budget of weak local authorities, and the non-utilization last year reached about 600 million shekels. According to the National Insurance Institute's food security report, 1.034 million children, which is 31.7% of children in Israel, suffer from food insecurity, of whom 354,000, which is 10% of children in Israel, suffer from severe food insecurity.

Civil society is trying to fill the void. The Nevet organization distributes about 20,000 to 25,000 sandwiches every day to students who arrive at school without a morning meal. A new study conducted by the Mashav Applied Research company for Nevet followed 71 students from 7th to 12th grades who received food and 456 staff members at their schools. 87% of school staff reported that students participating in the "Sandwich for Every Child" program are more focused on the study material, and 86% reported that they attend school more often. 72% reported a decrease in violent incidents. 90% of staff reported that students are calmer and more relaxed during the school day. The students' educators reported an increase of about 10 points in student grades, a decrease in absences, and an improvement in classroom climate.

"A noticeable decrease in harassment and bullying, violent incidents, and confrontations with teachers."

The Nevet organization has in recent days appealed to Knesset members and candidates for the position of Minister of Education from all factions and parties with a demand to include in the basic guidelines and work plans of the next government a national program for breakfasts in middle and high schools.

"Breakfast is a basic condition for learning, perseverance, and trust in the education system, — says Rotem Yosef-Giladi, CEO of the Nevet organization. — Hunger in the morning hours directly harms the students' ability to concentrate, increases absences and violent incidents, and ultimately leads students to drop out."

Another problematic fact: the utilization rate of the feeding program in eligible schools has dropped from 95% four years ago to 60% last year. The value of non-utilization last year is estimated at 665 million shekels. The main reason is probably local authorities that choose not to provide the service due to budgetary costs. This emerges from the Ministry of Education's response to a freedom of information request by the "Mazon - Jewish Response to Hunger" organization, submitted through the Movement for Freedom of Information.

In the 2020/21 and 2021/22 school years, the utilization rate of the feeding program was 95%, in 2023/24 the realization potential was 1.2 billion shekels, but only 74% were used, which is 938 million shekels. In 2024/25, the potential was 1.6 billion shekels, and only 60% were used, which is 960 million shekels. The value of the entitlement that was not realized grew to 640 million shekels.

"The hot meal is provided only within the framework of a long school day, and in this program, the local authority is required to participate in the cost. Weak authorities find it difficult to meet this and choose not to operate the program, so that precisely the children who need a meal the most are left without it," explains Adv. Becky Cohen-Keshet from the Forum for the Struggle Against Poverty. "We demand to expand the law to older age groups and to disconnect the entitlement to a meal from the economic situation of the local authority."

The Ministry of Education responded: "The feeding program is budgeted and paid according to actual performance and the scope of realization by local authorities. Therefore, the gap between the budget framework and actual expenditure does not reflect a budget that was allocated but not used, but the actual scope of realization by local authorities. Regarding the expansion of the program to middle and high schools, this is an expansion that requires a significant budget addition that is not currently budgeted."