Svyrydenko announced free meals for all schoolchildren
Starting September 1, Ukraine plans to introduce free hot meals for students in all grades. To implement the program, the government has already allocated funding for the renovation and modernization of school cafeterias. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced this on Telegram on May 27.
Currently, the free meal program is already in effect for all children in frontline communities, as well as for students in grades 1–4 throughout Ukraine.
The next step will be to expand the program to students in grades 5–11. Svyrydenko noted that the government has already begun preparations to implement the reform.
“Starting September 1, students in grades 1–11 across Ukraine are to receive hot lunches. Today, free meals are already provided for all children in frontline communities and students in grades 1–4 in all regions,” she wrote.
To this end, the Cabinet of Ministers has allocated 1 billion hryvnias to renovate school cafeterias. Funding will be provided to 73 school cafeterias in various regions of the country.
The government expects that the modernization will provide educational institutions with the necessary conditions to serve students full hot meals.
“School meals are not only about social support but also about developing the local economy, creating jobs, and supporting Ukrainian producers,” Svyrydenko emphasized.
As a reminder, schools in Kyiv are being prepared for winter and the transition to autonomous power supply.
