| By: |
Xhiselda Demaj (Department of Economics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) |
| Abstract: |
School-based policies may influence children's non-cognitive development, a
strong predictor of future life outcomes. This article investigates the
short-run impact of the Universal Infant Free School Meal Policy on children's
non-cognitive skills relying on a sample of children aged five from the UK
Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). To identify the causal effect of the
policy, we use a difference-in-difference strategy by exploiting exogenous
variations in the timing and location of switching from a means-tested to a
universal provision of free school lunches. Our results show that exposure to
universal free school lunches improves children's Strengths and Difficulties
Questionnaire (SDQ) by 0.21 standard deviation points. The effect seems to be
driven by pupils living in medium-income households, for whom the policy
change seems more relevant. A potential explanatory mechanism has to do with
the reduction in social stigma associated with the transition from
means-tested to universally provided school lunches. |
| Keywords: |
non-cognitive development, school meals, universalism |
| JEL: |
H42 I24 I28 |
| Date: |
2024 |
| URL: |
https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ven:wpaper:2024:11 |