Minister says school breakfast programme continues with support for more than 400 vulnerable students

Education Minister Dr. Ismail Shafeeu has stated that the school breakfast programme launched during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration is still ongoing, with more than 400 students currently receiving breakfast.

Providing breakfast to students was one of Solih’s presidential pledges. To fulfill that promise, public schools began serving breakfast to all morning-session students on June 11, 2019. The programme was implemented nationwide until it was suspended when schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Responding to a question in Parliament on Tuesday regarding the suspension, Minister Shafeeu said the programme was revised when it resumed in 2021. He noted that the then-MDP government decided to shift from universal coverage to a targeted model that identified only the most vulnerable children.

“When the law was written, it said the MDP’s promise was to provide breakfast to every child. But during the same MDP government, the Education Ministry decided not to provide breakfast to all children, and only to those who needed it,” he said.

Shafeeu said that each year, schools identify children from economically struggling families and provide them with the necessary assistance. He added that the number of students currently receiving breakfast will increase to more than 400.

The minister also noted that Naasthaa, the school breakfast programme, is a model used in other countries, but must be adapted to Maldivian realities. “We are identifying the poor children at the beginning of each year and talking to island stakeholders to give them the support they need,” he said.

When the MDP government launched the breakfast programme, a significant amount of money was spent on it. At the time, some people alleged that the work had been awarded to companies owned by MDP activists in various islands.