Noon-meal scheme to include bread, 50 lakh kids to benefit

Even as more than 43,000 nutritious meal centres across the State were not functioning due to the closure of schools, dry rations were provided to the students for continuing the noon-meal scheme.

A senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity, pointed out, “Since the schools have been closed for about one and a half years now, there were reports that students from poor backgrounds have been working as daily-wage labourers. Authorities fear that many might drop out from schools.”

“Under this circumstance, authorities have suggested providing bread along with eggs, which is already being provided, so that the students can get enough nutrition,” he added.

The official said that the government is planning to tie up with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) across all the districts to provide bread regularly for the children in the State-run schools.

“Bread will be provided along with the dry rations until the reopening of schools,” he said adding that the number of bread slices would depend on the age of the students.

Stating that the government is planning to reopen the schools in September as the cases have come down, he said, “Once the schools reopen, fresh bread will be optional as they would get variety meals also.”

He said that at present government and government-aided school children from Class 1 to Class 10 are being provided with hot cooked variety meals along with masala eggs on all working days (220 days in a year). “There were also requests from the government teachers that the noon-meal scheme could be extended for the Classes 11 and 12 students,” he added.

“In 2020, as many as 48,56,783 school children were benefited by the nutritious meal scheme,” he said adding that the previous AIADMK government was planning to include regular breakfast for the children as a part of the scheme.

Welcoming the idea to include bread, Tamil Nadu Teachers Association President P K Ilamaran said, “Once schools reopen, the distribution of bread to the children could be converted as a breakfast scheme.”