Politicians are being urged to focus on combatting wider societal issues after two global reports revealed worrying child poverty levels in England. This year鈥檚 (PISA) league tables showed about one in 10 youngsters skipped meals at least once a week because they didn鈥檛 have enough money.听 This is on par with countries including Mexico and Moldova, and above the OECD average of 8.2 per cent. A Unicef study, , found UK child poverty levels have leapt by about 20 per cent between 2012 and 2021.听 Despite this, England鈥檚 overall PISA attainment scores have held up better than other countries鈥�.听 ‘Help schools focus on education’ But Loic Menzies, the Centre for Education and Youth鈥檚 former CEO, added: 鈥淭he million-dollar question is: how good would those results be looking if we were prioritising other aspects of young people鈥檚 lives? Loic Menzies 鈥淚f schools were just concentrating on education, then they鈥檇 be able to do so much more. We should be aware of the weight of responsibility this puts on them.鈥� PISA compared countries across the globe on their youngsters鈥� attainment in maths, reading and science. Results for most countries fell after the Covid pandemic, but England鈥檚 held up better in maths 鈥� seeing the country rise to 11th in the world out of 81 that took part. But the food poverty findings show the government has 鈥渃ompletely under prioritised all the other dimensions of childhood鈥�, added Menzies.听 Large numbers experiencing food poverty He pointed to benefits caps introduced six years ago that would restrict tax credits and universal credit support to two children per family, which he said 鈥減unished young people for their parents鈥� fertility鈥�. As part of the PISA research, children were asked how often they did not eat because there was not enough money to buy food in the last month. About 5 per cent answered 鈥渆very day or almost every day鈥�, while a 听 Figures for the whole of the UK (10.5 per cent) were worse than those reported in Serbia, Mexico, Moldova and Brazil. Alfonso Echazarra, an analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which runs PISA, said the numbers are 鈥渁ctually a relatively large proportion for an OECD country鈥�. 鈥淲e always have to bear in mind that this information comes from students,鈥� he added. ‘When you’re hungry, you can’t learn’ 鈥淏ut it’s incredibly relevant and it’s very policy relevant because it’s something that, you know, countries and government can do a lot to solve.鈥� Speaking on Tuesday, children鈥檚 commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza threw her weight behind the breakfast club model, noting 鈥渨hen you’re hungry you can’t learn鈥�. Many schools already provide breakfast clubs, either from their own budgets or with food provided through the 鈥淲e’ve got truly disadvantaged groups now, like asylum seeking children and children whose families are falling into poverty even though they’re working. 鈥淎nd we really need to rocket booster support for them to enable them to engage with education. So, I applaud the breakfast club model.鈥� Unicef report lays bare child poverty rise Labour committed last year to providing free school breakfast clubs for all primary school pupils if it wins the next election, at a cost of 拢365 million. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, announced that the 鈥渇ully funded鈥� scheme would be rolled out to every primary school in England. She said it would be the 鈥渇irst step on the road to a modern childcare system鈥� and would 鈥渄rive up standards in maths, reading, and writing鈥� while also taking pressure off parents. Meanwhile, Unicef鈥檚 newly published report, entitled 鈥榗hild poverty in the midst of wealth鈥�, stated 鈥渕any more鈥� UK youngsters 鈥渓ived in poor households in 2021 than a decade earlier鈥�. Child income poverty rates among many minority ethnic groups 鈥� Bangladeshi, black, Chinese, 鈥渕ixed鈥�, Pakistani and 鈥渙ther鈥� 鈥� 鈥渁re more than twice as high鈥� than for those defined as white British.听 UK ranked third bottom in poverty table The UK鈥檚 20 per cent increase in child poverty was the largest among high-income and upper middle-income countries in the EU and the OECD. 鈥淭he UK and Hungary both reduced their expenditure on child and family benefits relative to the size of their economies and child populations,鈥� the Unicef report read. 鈥淓ngrained experiences of poverty throughout childhood can be associated with particularly negative outcomes for children, exacerbating the disadvantages that poverty already creates.鈥� The charity鈥檚 鈥渞eport card 18鈥�, a ranking of countries based on their latest child income poverty levels and the proportional change in that rate, graded the UK third from bottom,听only ahead of Turkey and Colombia.听听 The Department for Education has been approached for comment.