The Minister of National Education, Mahmoud Ozer, stated on Tuesday that the ministry has completed preparations for application of Free meals program Which will gradually include 5 million students in Turkish, a of February 6, when second midyear of 2022-2023 academic year year Started.
Ozer who He confirmed that the ministry continues support the students with social policies to increase access To education, note that they accelerated in work After the recommendation on Provide free or dietary lunch support in schools” at the twentieth session of the National Education Council in December 2021.
referring to those practices of Provide free meals support for the board School students were in place Since the 1980s, it has been minister Note that the range of Free meal services in The hostel has expanded in the last 20 years while ”Number of Students benefited from a free lunch, which initially reached 1.5 million students of Academic yearhas been increased to 1.8 million at present.
“Now, we will work To expand this number to 5 million k of the second half of Academic year. Thus, we will take another concrete operation step in Increase equal opportunity in Education sector “.
Emphasis on importance of The free meal programFocused, Ozer said on increasing access For pre-school education in the past year And they will start the program with special focus on These schools. He mentions that they plan on Increase meal execution program Gradually minister They highlight that they have distributed a “Meals/Nutrition and Distribution Guide” which includes procedures and principles of Free meal system, to 81 provinces in the country for Implementation.
” In this context, as of February 6, we will present up to 1.45 million of our children in all pre-school educational institutions with one A meal a day, five days a week.
he also pointing to out that students who Attending primary schools combined with Kindergarten classes will also Benefit from daily feeding services alongside secondary school students in regional internal institutions. ” In other schools, preparations will be completed and feeding services will begin as well soon like possible,” the minister added.
Ozer also He said the ministry had allocated the “necessary” budget” for Nurseries and related kindergartens that prepare food and meals in their kitchens.
He explained that the “guideline for preparing and distributing food meals” prepared by the ministry includes detailed nutrition service operations that will be conducted. in schools. These processes include menu management and inspections (food safety and hygienic practices), warehousing, supply, production (prep and cooking), telephony/feeding distribution, and post-service operations.
The minister and who Emphasize the importance of Meet daily energy and nutrient needs of the students with This process said balanced meals of The diet has been prepared in According with related to programs of Ministry of Health.
” Samples of rolls have been prepared for Pre-school educational institutions by the Ministry and sent to the provinces. The school, which will decide its own food menu(s), will receive dieticians support of provinces and regions public Health centers. In addition to the weekly feeding listwhich will be prepared in schools with the support of Dietitian on the school’s website, Ozer said.
during planning, preparation and implementation of the operation in schools, special Hygiene and hygiene will be taken care of, while schools will have to obtain permission documents from parents of the students who They will be given free feed support.
Ministry of Civic education asked that everyone required actions taken by the provinces for Healthy and hassle-free execution of The free meal program.
