Rs 2,900 million for school mid day meal

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The government has allocated Rs 2,900 million to provide the mid day meal for schoolchildren for 2010, said an Education Ministry official.

After a survey done in 2005, the government decided to pay greater attention to the nutritional needs of schoolchildren and provide them with the mid day meal.

It was found that more than 30 percent of schoolchildren do not have breakfast. Because of this most were malnurished. This program was started in the year 2006 on a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and it is successfully carried out in 7,618 schools involving one million students from Grades One to Five.

It represents 25 percent of all students in the country. Following this program, the number of under - weight school going children was reduced by 7 percent during the last year. Also the number of students attending school increased.

The government had to spend Rs.2,700 million on this program in 2009. Food is provided according to special preparations and the Health Ministry always monitors nutrition levels of the students. The World Food Program, Health Ministry and Nation Building Ministry have extended their support to this program.