Dhaka: The government is set to reintroduce the midday meal scheme at government primary schools across the country starting in April this year. This initiative aims to benefit approximately 31.30 lakh students from about 20,000 primary schools, primarily located in poverty-prone areas.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Director General Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman stated that the government will provide midday meals five days a week to ensure students’ nutrition and prevent dropouts. The three-year project is anticipated to play a significant role in ensuring quality education for students.
The project will be implemented nationwide in phases, targeting 19,419 government primary schools in 150 upazilas across 62 districts. The meal plan includes milk, eggs, bread, and seasonal fruits, with a roadmap prepared for distributing dry nutritious food in three phases. The cost per student for the meal is estimated to be between Taka 39 to 40, with local committees working under the supervision of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer to maintain the programme’s discipline.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has recently approved the three-year project with a budget of Taka 5,452 crore. The government will fund the school feeding programme from its own resources, with implementation by the DPE.
Primary and Mass Education Adviser Professor Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder emphasized the project’s purpose of ensuring school children’s nutrition, noting the prevalence of malnutrition among primary school students. He highlighted that the project includes a health component, with Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char also set to benefit. Additionally, 6,099 teachers from 1,095 government primary schools will receive skill-building training under this initiative.
Professor Dr Md Abdus Salam from Dhaka University (DU) Institute of Education and Research recognized the school feeding programme as a timely initiative, underscoring its potential to ensure proper nutrition for school-goers.