Israel Education System: Survey Shows Better Scores, Less Violence And Absences, But More Hunger

An end-of-year survey by an Israeli NGO found a sizable post-COVID increase in hungry children within the Israeli educational system.

Israeli NGO NEVET released a survey this week adding to existing data that indicates a correlation between proper nutrition and academic success.

NEVET is an organization that provides daily meals for over 11,000 Israeli schoolchildren living in a state of food insecurity.

Impact of the teacher strikes

Recent teacher strikes have also impacted students who face food insecurity and rely on the school food system as a meal source — they cannot access their school meals if there is no school. 

CEO of NEVET, Rotem Yosef-Giladi said that while teachers obviously deserve to be paid and there is need to be fully aware of the larger picture of the damage that these strikes are doing.

NEVET’s overall goal is to level the playing field among students with access to daily school meals and students without.

As indicated by NEVET’s recent study a full, nutritious diet allows for students to do much better in school both academically and socially.

By providing food to those students who are lacking, the NGO gives children living with food insecurity the opportunity to excel despite the odds.