Schools’ free meal suppliers cut corners when paid late

The schools’ free-meal programme is due to get off after a late start, but education trade unions are claiming that the project is running into trouble.

However, Education Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake denies these allegations, saying the programme has not faced problems.

“As the Grade 1 admissions are conducted in mid January, we start it along with that, with a meal or glass of milk for all the children,” he said, adding that, there are no issues with regard to the programme

This year, the programme is to be launched on January 21.

A glass of milk or a meal for lunch is provided to schoolchildren from Grade 1 to 5, numbering 800,000, depending on their health or their nutritional needs. The meals provided consist of five different menus for the week.

Children under 12 are requested to be accompanied by an adult.

Opening hours for the public are Sunday (12) – 14:00 hrs-20:00 hrs, Monday (13) and Tuesday (14) – 10:00 hrs-16:00 hrs and Wednesday (15) – 10:00hrs20:00 hrs.

MV Logos Hope visited the ports of Colombo and Galle last year.

MV Logos Hope is operated by GBA Ships e.V., an international charitable organization registered in Germany. Since 1970, the organisation has welcomed over 43 million visitors up its gangways in over 150 countries worldwide.