65% of Belarusian Schoolchildren Will Receive Free Meals in New Academic Year

In the upcoming school year, 65% of students will be provided with free meals. This applies to children from low-income and large families, as well as pupils attending rural schools and sports classes.

For the remaining students, meals will be organized on a paid basis, with families reimbursing only the cost of the products.

Lyutiya Mikhalkchuk, Head of the Food Organization Department at the Academy of Education, Ministry of Education of Belarus, stated:

"Meal arrangements are planned to be carried out either by our own forces for 41% of students or by external organizations for the remaining 59% of children."

Overall, no significant changes in the approach to children’s nutrition are expected. In the new academic year, school cafeterias will serve more than one million students.