News item | 29-03-2023 | 08:10
As of today, primary and secondary schools can register at www.schoolmeals.nl for free school meals for their students. These are schools that can best use the help. The Youth Education Fund and the Red Cross are joining forces for the organization of school meals.
Minister Wiersma: “For me, it is paramount that we help our students to get the best out of themselves. With, among other things, teaching language, math and how we interact with each other in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is facing major challenges in the coming years and it is therefore essential to invest in our students and thus in our future economy. Now that household budgets are sometimes under pressure in families, it is up to us to ensure that students can fully focus on school. Any tensions or money worries at home should not translate into the classroom. For many students, a school meal can therefore make a huge difference. They are more energetic and participate better in class. That is why we will be helping students with a good meal at school on a larger scale in the coming months.”
Organization
For this year, 100 million euros is available for the students who need it most. Schools can choose between the option on the website meal at school or meal at home.
If schools choose one meal at school this concerns a maximum amount of 9 euros per student per week. Schools have the freedom to choose a method that suits them best. This can vary from parents or volunteers shopping at the local supermarket, neighborhood teams making sandwiches in the community center and schools opting for a caterer.
If schools choose the option meal at home they can help individual students in the form of shopping cards. Schools send a registration link to the parents of students who need it most. Parents can then register themselves directly for the shopping card. The cards with a weekly amount of 11 euros per child can be exchanged in all supermarkets. The Red Cross has been working with such cards worldwide for years and has had good experiences with them.
Unburdening schools
Organizing school meals should not burden teachers. They just need to teach the kids well. That is why there are school contact persons of the Red Cross and the Youth Education Fund who help schools with a meal that best suits the school. The contact person thinks along with the school and visits if necessary.
By working with permanent volunteers, who can receive a volunteer allowance for this, schools and teachers are unburdened. Schools can also choose to have local supermarkets or caterers deliver the food to the school. The students can then grab their own breakfast or lunch from the fridge.
Eligible Schools
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, together with the National Education Cohort Study (NCO), has mapped out which schools need the free meals the most. These are schools of which 30% or more of the pupils come from a family with a low income. In addition, pupils in special primary education, secondary special education, special education and practical education are also eligible for a free school meal.
An evaluation of the school meals program will follow in the coming period. More information can be found on the joint website of the Red Cross and the Youth Education Fund: www.schoolmeals.nl
Minister Dennis Wiersma (Primary and Secondary Education), Hans Spekman of the Youth Education Fund, Heleen van den Berg of the Red Cross and initiators Laurens Dassen (Volt) and Jan Paternotte (D66) are present today at Merlijn primary school in The Hague for the launch of the program.