Starting from October, pupils in grades 1-4 will be able to eat free of charge. For this purpose, 2 billion hryvnias have been allocated from the budget, which will be transferred to local communities in the form of a subvention. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, UNN reports.
Previously, only privileged students were provided with hot lunches, and funding was covered by local budgets.
According to the Ministry of Education, the state subvention will help guarantee an adequate level of nutrition for all primary school students and promote good eating habits from an early age.
How will it work?
The subvention can be used for the purchase of food, as well as for catering and/or outsourcing services. Basic conditions for granting the subvention:
- Hot meals are organized for all primary school students (grades 1-4).
- The educational institution organizes the process of full-time education or combines full-time and distance learning.
- Educational institutions can organize meals on their own through outsourcing or cooperate with catering companies.
- The calculation of the cost of hot meals for primary school students should not exceed the cost of meals for students in grades 5-11 (12).
- All processes must comply with the requirements of the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 305 dated 03/24/2021, HACCP standards and food safety and quality legislation.
Recall
On September 2 , President Zelenskyy announced the creation of a free meals program for children in primary school. He also introduced a new educational app called Mriya and the Safe School program.