'How do you concentrate for five hours on an empty stomach?' Limpopo learners on hunger at school
University of Limpopo researchers spent four weeks with 40 senior pupils. They found hunger hurt concentration, attendance and behaviour, and set out ways school meals could go further.
Polokwane — South Africa feeds 9.7 million learners in more than 21,000 schools through its National School Nutrition Programme. For many, it is their main meal of the day. But meals stop at weekends and in the holidays.
Lusanda Ncisana and Michael Mbongiseni Buthelezi of the University of Limpopo wanted to know how hunger affects learning. For four weeks they observed and interviewed 40 learners in grades 10 to 12 at Tshehlo Secondary School, in a Limpopo community with high unemployment.
What learners said
Learners from food-insecure homes described trouble concentrating, tiredness, absence and frustration in class. "How do you expect someone to concentrate for five hours with an empty stomach?" one asked. Another told of a friend who had missed two weeks of school because there was no food at home.
The authors stress that hunger is one factor among many, alongside teaching, home life and motivation, and that their study did not measure the link statistically.
Making meals go further
The government has budgeted about R10.3 billion for school nutrition in 2026, and R33.9 billion over three years. The researchers suggest letting provinces buy food directly from local farmers, cutting out middlemen and spending the savings on better meals.
They also recommend helping teachers spot the signs of hunger, linking hungry learners to support without stigma, and creating school gardens and district farms to add fresh food to the menu.
Source: The Conversation, 10 November 2026.
