Free School Meal Improves Educational Health and the Learning Environment in a Small Municipality in Norway

It has been suggested that school meals could have an impact on students' learning environments; however, existing research in this field is scarce and inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' and school administrators' experiences with the introduction of a free school meal and whether this influenced the learning environment. The study was conducted in upper primary and lower secondary schools in a small municipality in Norway. In this qualitative study, 17 informants participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using NVivo. Thematic analysis was conducted using systematic text condensation (STC). The main findings are that in the informants' experience, a free school meal led to reduced absenteeism during lunchtime and positive social interactions among students, social equalization, and a more peaceful atmosphere during lunchtime. In conclusion, the introduction of a free school meal had a positive impact on the students' educational health and the learning environment, and contributed to social equalization as all the students shared the same healthy school meal.