Bengaluru: Pre-primary sections in govt schools have started getting midday meals from Dec 1. Currently, 4,056 govt schools, including 1,699 govt-funded magnet schools, have pre-primary sections.TOI reported in March that the department would extend midday meals to pre-primary sections of govt schools. Though these sections were launched in govt schools in 2019, they were not officially included in the scheme. The school headmasters have been asked to enter the details of students in the Student Achievement Tracking System. Midday meals will be available in schools that are permitted by the department of school education and literacy, including those which will start from 2026-27.The order stated that the Centre will spend Rs 4.1 per day per child, and the state will spend Rs 2.7 towards the cost of food preparation. The total cost fixed per child per day is Rs 6.8. The Azim Premji Foundation will assist the department to supply eggs for four days, while the department will provide them for the remaining two days of the week. With this, students will get milk, ragi malt, and lunch, along with eggs/bananas every day.“Thus far, we were adjusting the midday meals by sharing the food received for the other classes with pre-primary children. It was unfair to provide lunch only for older children. However, from Monday, we officially started getting food for the toddlers,” said a teacher at a Karnataka Public School in East Bengaluru. “The official had a meeting with the NGOs that provide midday meals in Bengaluru. They were informed about the addition of the pre-primary classes to the scheme,” said a teacher from another KPS.
