Staff Reporter :
The long-awaited government primary school feeding program is set to launch in April. Under this initiative, 31 lakh 30 thousand students from 20,000 primary schools across the country will receive mid-day meals.
The government has taken this step to ensure students’ nutrition and reduce dropout rates by providing lunch five days a week.
According to Abu Noor Md. Shamsuzzaman, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, most students in government primary schools come from marginalised communities, while affluent families prefer private schools or kindergartens for their children.
Many of these marginalised students arrive at school without eating properly due to poverty or lack of awareness.
In many cases, the food they consume lacks essential nutrients. Additionally, students who stay in classrooms for extended hours without eating struggle to concentrate on their studies. Some families also lack the financial means to afford nutritious food.
Considering this, the government plans to gradually expand the school feeding program to cover all primary schools in marginalised areas.
Recently, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus stated that efforts are being made to bring all primary school students under this initiative as soon as possible, ensuring full transparency and accountability in implementation. Alternative plans will also be in place to prevent disruptions to teaching and learning.
According to sources from the Directorate of Primary Education, this three-year project aims to significantly improve the quality of primary education. The program will be gradually implemented nationwide, covering 19,419 government primary schools in 150 sub-districts across 62 districts.
Of these sub-districts, 135 (91%) are classified as having very high or high poverty rates, while the remaining 14 (9%) have lower poverty rates. The provided food items will include milk, eggs, bread (bun), and seasonal fruits. A roadmap has been created for the phased distribution of these nutritious dry foods.
The selection of 18,000-19,000 schools across 150 sub-districts was based on the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) poverty map. All students in the selected schools will receive food, and the distribution will be designed to foster leadership skills among students.
The meal plan includes eggs and small round bread (bun) for the first three days, UHT milk and bread for the next two days, and nutrient-rich biscuits along with seasonal fruits on other days.
The estimated cost per student is between Tk 39 and Tk40 per meal. A local committee under the supervision of the Upazila Executive Officer will oversee the program’s implementation.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the project. The government will fund the entire school feeding initiative from its own resources, without relying on foreign loans or grants. The total project cost is estimated at Tk 54.52 billion, and the Directorate of Primary Education will oversee its implementation.
Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, Adviser for Primary and Mass Education, highlighted that the objective of the midday meal program is to ensure that children, who spend long hours at school, do not go hungry and suffer from malnutrition. He emphasised that the project includes a health component as well.
Additionally, the initiative will extend to Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. A total of 6 thousand 99 teachers from 1 thousand 95 government primary schools will receive training under the project to enhance their skills.
