Expansion of the School Meals programme in Aegina and in inside and outlying areas with 236,000 daily rations for students, according to the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family.
During her visit to Aegina, Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michailidou highlighted the strategic expansion of the School Meals programme, which now covers all eight municipal schools on the island, substantially enhancing the support of students and their families at a time when social policy emphasizes equitable access for all children to quality food within the school community.
Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs Domna Michaelidou visited Aegina today on the occasion of the inclusion, for the first time, of all the island’s primary schools in the School Meals programme.
School meals gain an even stronger presence
After visiting three of the island’s primary schools, Donna Michaelidou said: “School meals are reaching every child, in every corner of the country. In Aegina, with the inclusion of all eight primary schools on the island in the programme, we are actively supporting the school community and the families of the island. For us, a hot and quality meal at school is a solid policy of care, equality and essential support for the daily lives of children. And it is of particular value that the programme is consistently extended to island and mountainous areas, so that no child is left behind because of the place where they live.”
With the expansion of the programme, new areas of the country have been included in it, such as Orestiada, Soufli, Grevena, Peonia, Istiia-Aidipsos and Aegina. This gives school meals an even stronger presence in island, mountain and border regions, confirming that the support of the State reaches where there is a real need. In these new areas, 68 school units and 4,680 daily rations have been added.
For Aegina, the inclusion in the programme is of particular importance, as all eight municipal school units on the island are participating in it, with 630 meals available per day. Currently, 575 students are fed, which reflects the positive response of the school community and the essential usefulness of the program for the families of the island.
The “School Meals” program is implemented in 159 municipalities of the country. It currently covers 1,986 elementary schools, with 236,000 meals available daily.
