School dinner

A school meal or school lunch (also known as hot lunch, a school dinner, or school breakfast) is a meal, typically in the middle or beginning of the school day, provided to students at school. Countries all over the world have various kinds of school meal programs. Millions of children from all standards and grades get their meals at their respective schools every day. Scientifically and medically, school meals are regarded as an essential component of children's upbringing and growth. School meals provide high-energy food with high nutritional values either free, or at economical rates.

The benefits of school meals vary from country to country. While in developed countries the school meal is a source of nutritious meals, in developing countries it is an incentive to send children to school and continue their education. In developing countries, school meals provide food security at times of crisis and help children to become healthy and productive adults, thus breaking the cycle of poverty and hunger. In all cases, school meals allow children to focus on their studies, without hunger as a distraction.

Sweden, Finland, Estonia are among the few countries which provide free school meals to all pupils in compulsory education, regardless of their ability to pay. Many countries do to improve attendance rates such as India, where all the Government School students are provided with free lunch meals (Midday Meal Scheme), where staple food that varies to different states and region, are provided along with free education.

In high-income countries, free school meals are usually available to children who meet income-based criteria.

Reduced price meals are also available in some countries to those who need a degree of assistance with costs. Lower-cost meals are available to students in such countries as France, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.

When they are not provided to all students, free school meals can stigmatize children who do receive them. Studies have shown that many children entitled to free meals do not take them, and those who do may suffer negative consequences. Additionally, not all children who could benefit from free or reduced-price lunch qualify for it. Organisations such as the Child Poverty Action Group have called for school meals to be provided free of charge for all pupils to address these issues. In the United States of America, Share Our Strength has funded free-school-meal-to-all pilot programs in some school districts.

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