The school meals now reach all primary schools in Aegina, as part of the steady expansion of the programme throughout Greece. This was noted by the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, during her visit today to the 2nd primary school of Aegina, and the primary schools of Vathios and Perdika.
During the visits and accompanied by the Governor of OPEKA, Epaminondas Atsave, the Minister spoke with teachers, students and members of the school community, was informed about the progress of the implementation of the programme and observed the process of distributing the meals.
The visit to the schools of Aegina is linked to the inclusion, for the first time, of all eight primary schools on the island in the School Meals Programme. With the expansion of the program, 630 meals are now available daily in Aegina, supporting the island’s school community and families on a daily basis.
Special emphasis was placed on the quality of the meals and on following all the procedures laid down, especially at a time when high temperatures require even greater consistency in their preparation, transport and distribution. The picture from the schools confirms that the programme is not only expanding in numbers, but is being implemented with care, organisation and respect for the children and their families.
The Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Domna Michailidou, said: “School meals are not just a plate of food. They are daily care and support for the family. In Aegina, where this year for the first time all primary schools on the island joined, we see in practice what it means for the programme to reach everywhere: from Orestiada and Soufli to Grevena, Istiaia-Aidipsos and our islands. We want every child to receive a hot, quality and safe meal at school, wherever they live.”
The School Lunch Program is a consistent policy of supporting students, families and the school community. With this year’s expansion, 68 new school sites and 4,680 additional daily rations were added. Nationwide, the program is now implemented in 159 municipalities, covering 1,986 elementary schools, with 236,000 meals available daily.
