Kaohsiung City Implements Free School Lunch Policy, Including Private Schools

Central News Agency (Kaohsiung, 24th) Kaohsiung City will implement a free lunch policy for elementary and junior high schools starting in the 115th academic year. Mayor Chen Chi-mai announced today that the policy will benefit not only public school students but also those in private schools, allowing approximately 195,000 students across the city to share in the nutritional care resources. Mayor Chen stated via press release that the city has allocated NT$68 million to include private school students in the subsidy. Additionally, the city has allocated NT$57.6 million to subsidize NT$10 per meal for staff under the '3-Label 1-QR Code' food safety program, benefiting approximately 28,800 staff members. Through a joint dining mechanism, the city aims to strengthen lunch quality and food safety, creating a more comprehensive nutritional care system. Mayor Chen emphasized that the annual budget for the universal free lunch policy is approximately NT$2.7 billion. To ensure quality and hygiene, the city will increase joint inter-departmental inspections from once to at least twice a year. The Education Bureau, Health Bureau, and Agriculture Bureau will collaborate to strengthen checks on food sources, production processes, and environmental hygiene. The Education Bureau stated it will continue to integrate resources to improve school lunch quality and safety.