Study Links Universal Free School Meals to Fewer Suspensions

Researchers in the United States and South Korea examined data from 95,000 U.S. schools and found that schools adopting universal free meal programs recorded fewer out-of-school suspensions. The study used information collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights between the 2011–2012 and 2017–2018 academic years.

Out-of-school suspension is a disciplinary measure that temporarily excludes pupils from classes. The measure is used in some countries and banned in others. Several European institutions have encouraged schools to adopt more inclusive disciplinary approaches.

The study found that schools adopting universal free meal programs saw out-of-school suspensions fall by around 10 percent among primary school pupils and by 6 percent among secondary school students. The effects were strongest in schools that had previously served fewer pupils eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

“Our findings highlight universal free meals as not just a nutrition policy, but a tool for improving school climate and equity, especially in schools that previously served fewer low‐income students,” said Andres Cuadros-Meñaca, a researcher at the University of Northern Iowa.

Estonia provide free school meals universally across most or all school years. Latvia and Lithuania offer free meals for certain year levels. Denmark and the Netherlands do not operate nationwide free school meal programmes. In 2022, 24.7 percent of children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.