According to a startling new report which sought to highlight the impact of financial hardship among families in the UK, more than 70% of children come to school hungry.
A survey, which was conducted by the largest teachers' union - NASUWT - asserted that this worrying phenomenon meant that schools were forced to compensate in order to meet the basic needs of their students.
The findings, which were contained within the union's third annual survey, offered an insight into issue, and confirmed that teachers and pupils are often compelled to give their own snacks and lunches to hungry students and peers.
Further to this, the report, which surveyed 3,250 teachers, indicated that food was not the only issue, with more than half confirming that their students were unable to afford a proper uniform.
Echoing this statistic, the report goes on to reveal that 59% of of teachers confirmed their school had supplied clothing to needy pupils.
With more than half of their pupils displaying signs of anxiety with regards their family's financial status, it may come as no surprise that a whopping 41% of teachers have admitted to offering financial advice to struggling families.
Commenting on the findings, General Secretary of the Nasuwt, Chris Keates said: "It is clear that teachers and schools are being left to pick up the pieces of callous fiscal and social policies."
"Poverty is not incidental to teachers. It is a key inhibitor to educational progression and schools simply cannot be expected to tackle these issues alone," he continued.
"As the survey shows, poverty and homelessness take an enormous physical and emotional toll on children," he concluded. "They often cannot concentrate when they are in school because they are tired, hungry and anxious."
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