Primary School Principals and Teachers Support School-Provided Meals in Queensland, Australia: Brief Report of a Cross-Sectional Study

Issues Addressed

This research aimed to describe the level of support for school-provided meals (SPMs) among primary school teachers and principals in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

Secondary analysis from two surveys undertaken in 2022 to explore food and nutrition education, environments and resources in Queensland primary schools. Teachers were asked two questions, (1) if they thought a school-provided breakfast or lunch would benefit the students at their school; and (2) if they have provided food for a student who has come to school hungry in the last month. Principals were asked if they thought school-provided meals would benefit their students and reasons why. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical and thematic analysis.

Results

In total 278 teachers/principals responded, predominantly from public schools. Teachers (n = 139) were more likely to come from larger, more socially advantaged urban schools and principals (n = 139) from smaller, more socially disadvantaged regional schools. More than 7 out of 10 teachers supported a school-provided breakfast (72%) or lunch (71%) program, and just over half (70, 50.4%) had provided food for hungry students in the preceding month. Two-thirds of principals supported SPMs (66%). Student wellbeing and tension with parents were key themes for support or opposition to SPMs among principals.

Conclusions

Principal and teacher respondents from primary schools in diverse geographic and socioeconomic locations within Queensland showed high support for SPMs.