Guidelines issued to implement free breakfast scheme in TN schools

CHENNAI: In a bid to streamline the scheme, Tamil Nadu government has issued comprehensive guidelines for implementing free breakfast scheme at all state-run preliminary and middle schools in all the districts.

The breakfast scheme, which was launched on September 15 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of DMK founder C N Annadurai, is now being implemented in as many as 1,545 corporation and government schools across the state.

As the scheme was welcomed by various stakeholders, including parents, the State government had announced the scheme will be extended to all primary and middle schools in all the districts of the state.

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that the breakfast scheme for all the schools will benefit more than 18 lakh students and for which the state government will be allocating Rs 500 crore.

"This scheme will be implemented from 2023-2024 academic year,” he added.

Stating that guidelines have been issued for the scheme extension, he said the objective to extend the scheme for all the schools is to ensure that students in the government school should not be hungry while attending classes. "The scheme will also ensure the children will not be malnutrition besides ensuring more admission in the government schools,” he said.

The official said according to the guidelines, the scheme will be properly implemented jointly by chief education officers, district education authorities, headmasters and the concerned teachers, who will be deployed for the scheme.

"They would also ensure that all the eligible children will be benefited by free breakfast scheme,” he said adding "circulars, which contain detail guidelines, have been issued to all the concerned officials".