The NGO Educo, dedicated to the defense of childhood, revealed that 1.2 million children and young people at risk of poverty in Spain will return to school next week without access to school cafeteria scholarships. This number represents more than half of the students who are in a situation of risk of poverty in the country. The organization's study highlights that, for a significant part of these children, the school meal is the only guarantee of a complete and nutritious meal during the day.
Educo has been defending for over a decade that the school cafeteria service should be considered an integral part of the right to education, and should therefore be universal and free for all students. According to the organization, this claim is based on the recognition that adequate nutrition is an essential condition for the academic and personal development of children, especially those from families in situations of economic vulnerability. The return to classes without these food guarantees represents, for many of these families, an additional difficulty at a time already marked by economic concerns.
