Breakfast in schools: Scheme worthy to enter golden pages of history

In 1920, when Justice Party leader Velludai Vendar P.T Thiagarayar was the Mayor of Chennai, the mid-day meal program was started in the Municipal School. It was expanded during late Chief Minister Kamarajar period.  M.G.R developed it as a useful and excellent nutrition program during his regime.

As a next step, when the head of the 'Dravidian Model' regime - M.K. Stalin was the Chief Minister, the program of providing breakfast to school children was introduced for the first time in India. The scheme was launched today (September 15) in Madurai by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin. The Tamil Nadu government has issued guidelines to be implemented in other schools from tomorrow (September 16).

According to the guidelines breakfast should be prepared and served to the children in schools between 8.15 am to 8.50 am every day. Project implementation systems should ensure that meals are provided to children at the right time on a daily basis.

The quantum of raw material for snacks provided per child per day is 50 gms, lentils for sambar 15 gms, locally available vegetables. Sambar with 150 to 200 grams of food and 60 grams of vegetables should be served after cooking. Kichadi should be given in 100 gms and ravai or semiyakesari in 60 gms. 

They have also published a list of what food should be served daily. It is seen as the next evolution of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin's rule. Students will now get breakfast along with lunch. Providing mid-day meals has led to more poor students enrolling in schools. Education brought about a renaissance. 

There is no doubt that the number of students in Tamil Nadu will increase and the dropout rate will decrease significantly as breakfast is  also provided now. No matter much we praise Chief Minister M.K.Stalin who started the education revolution.