From the start of the new school year in Ukraine, the program of free meals for schoolchildren in frontline areas will be expanded. From September, it will include students in grades 5–11 who attend classes in person.
This was announced by the Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi. According to him, this is the second stage of the program, which already covers primary school students. In total, the state will allocate about UAH 800 million from the state budget to local budgets. The funds are intended to provide free meals to younger schoolchildren throughout the country, as well as to organize lunches for middle and high school students in frontline communities.
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The minister stressed that in the absence of free meals, parents have the right to appeal to the school administration, regional military administrations, departments of education, and the Ministry of Education and Science. Lisovyi expressed confidence that communities are ready to implement this initiative, as preparatory work with them has been carried out in advance.
In the first half of 2025, thanks to a state subsidy, about 400,000 primary school students throughout Ukraine received free hot lunches.
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