Students, teachers welcome expansion of breakfast scheme

For Roja (name changed on request) from Presidency Girls Model Government Higher Secondary School, Egmore, who had spent her elementary schooling eating breakfast under the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme, the expansion of the scheme to Classes 6-8 has only ensured that she doesn’t have to worry about her first meal.

“In class 3, my mother never had to worry about my breakfast, as food would be available at school. But in middle school, it got a little difficult. Either I would have dosa if there was time or nothing at all,” she said.

As her mother often falls sick, Roja would cook breakfast for her mother and leave for school, but skip her own. “Now that it has been expanded, I’m glad,” she said, now in Class 8.

Teachers noted that many children would skip breakfast, and it was apparent in the first period of class. “They would complete their chores and come. Many would sit in class complaining of stomach aches and headaches. They would have skipped their breakfast,” a teacher from a government school in Chennai said.

The breakfast scheme was expanded on Tuesday to benefit students studying in Classes 6-8 in government and government-aided schools across the State. The students enjoyed pongal, sarkkarai pongal (sweet pongal), and sambhar for their first meal of the day.

The students pointed out that adding items such as idli and other fruits would make breakfast even more enjoyable.

Welcoming this move, the headmistress of a government school pointed out that if the noon meal scheme and breakfast scheme was expanded till Class 12, it would help in boosting admissions.