Why Providing Free Breakfast in Schools Should Be a National Priority

The Selangor state government has announced a free breakfast programme for schoolchildren, which is scheduled to begin in August. It is aimed at ensuring students have access to nutritious meals before they begin their school day with a target of reaching 120,000 pupils in 965 schools. Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has argued that the initiative should not be limited to Selangor, but expanded into a nationwide programme as part of a broader effort to tackle child hunger, food insecurity and the rising cost of living faced by families. So, on today’s show, we speak to Charles Santiago about the case for free school meals, what it would take to scale up such a programme at a national level, and why ensuring every child starts the day with a proper meal should be seen as a national priority. Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.