Chennai: On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin marked a significant step towards enhancing educational support by launching the expansion of the breakfast scheme to include state-aided private schools.
This initiative was inaugurated at St Anne’s School in Keelacheri, Tiruvallur district, coinciding with the 122nd birth anniversary of iconic leader Kumaraswami Kamaraj.
The occasion is observed as ‘Kalvi Valarchi Naal’ (Education Development Day) by the state government in honor of the late Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, who pioneered the mid-day meal program in Tamil Nadu.
During the launch event, CM Stalin paid floral tributes to Kamaraj at a government-aided school, underscoring the state’s commitment to educational development. Demonstrating his hands-on approach, Stalin served food to the students and joined them for breakfast, sharing a meal with the children to highlight the importance of the scheme.
The expansion of the breakfast scheme is set to benefit 2,23,536 children across 3,995 government-aided primary schools statewide. This move follows the initial launch of the scheme on September 15, 2022, which covered 1.14 lakh students in Classes 1 to 5 in 1,545 government primary schools. The comprehensive expansion on August 25, 2023, further extended the scheme to 18.50 lakh students in all 30,992 state-run primary schools.
With the inclusion of aided schools, the scheme now reaches a total of approximately 21.87 lakh students, ensuring that children in both government and state-aided primary schools benefit from the initiative. This effort underscores the state’s dedication to providing nutritious meals to young learners, supporting their health, and enhancing their ability to succeed academically.
The breakfast scheme not only aims to improve the nutritional status of students but also seeks to boost attendance and concentration in schools, addressing a critical need in the education sector. By building on the legacy of K. Kamaraj, Tamil Nadu continues to lead the way in educational initiatives, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive, the CM had said.