Tamil Nadu government’s breakfast scheme leads to attendance rising in 85% schools

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to provide breakfast in select primary schools has led to an increase in attendance in the majority of schools it was introduced in, a survey by the State Planning Commission found.

According to the report, the scheme was introduced among 1,543 schools out of which 1,319 schools recorded an increase in attendance.

The report looked at the attendance levels of students between January and February 2023 and compared it to the attendance of students over the same period in 2022.

Prior to the scheme, government schools across Tamil Nadu, like the rest of India, only provided mid-day meals through the PM Poshan scheme, erstwhile mid-day meal scheme or mdm programme. Tamil Nadu was also the first state to introduce mid-day meals.

Immensely pleased by the impact-report on CM @mkstalin's Breakfast Scheme, first launched in Madurai. Shows 85% of the schools covered have increased attendance; every district has registered +ve impact. Children are our future, their well-being is foundational to social justice. pic.twitter.com/GTzEILpq7o

— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) March 15, 2023

4 districts record 100% attendance

The report said that the schools in the four districts of Tirupathur, Perambalur, Ariyalur and Tiruvarur recorded an attendance of 100 percent in January and February after the scheme was introduced. 13 districts also recorded attendance levels of over 90 percent.

According to the report, 22 schools recorded an increase in attendance by over 40 percent while 1,086 schools recorded an increase in attendance by over 20 percent, compared to the same period in 2022.

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The report also compared 414 schools that benefited from the breakfast scheme to their neighbouring schools.

It found that, although increased attendance was recorded in 258 neighbouring schools compared to 366 beneficiary schools, none of the neighbouring schools saw an increase of over 20 percent in attendance during the same period. At the same time, nearly 250 beneficiary schools out of the 414 recorded an increase of over 20 percent attendance.

The Tamil Nadu government launched the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme for Classes 1 to 5 in September 2022.