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Does the provision of universal free school meals improve school attendance?

Author

Listed:
  • Borbely, Daniel
  • Gehrsitz, Markus
  • McIntyre, Stuart
  • Rossi, Gennaro

Abstract

We examine the effects of universal free school meal (UFSM) policies on school attendance and health-related absences. We leverage UFSM implementation in Scotland where all pupils in the first three grades of primary schools became automatically entitled to claim free meals, regardless of their households’ financial circumstances. We estimate a difference-in-differences model with variation in school-level exposure to the policy and find that, in spite of a large increase in take-up rates, attendance did not improve. Using an alternative exposure measure that includes those pupils switching from paid to free school meals, we find small positive and negative effects on attendance and health-related absences respectively. These findings would suggest the presence of a channel whereby financial savings by families encourage attendance, but these effects are too small to be considered economically meaningful.

Suggested Citation

  • Borbely, Daniel & Gehrsitz, Markus & McIntyre, Stuart & Rossi, Gennaro, 2024. "Does the provision of universal free school meals improve school attendance?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:103:y:2024:i:c:s0272775724000918
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2024.102597
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Attendance; Behaviour; School meals; Welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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