Minister of Education Dr. Ismail Shafeeu has announced that the government is currently providing breakfast assistance to more than 400 underprivileged students across the Maldives.

The Minister revealed this information during a session of the People’s National Congress (PNC) in response to an inquiry from Ibrahim Falah, the MP for the Inguraidhoo constituency and PNC Parliamentary Leader. MP Falah had requested an update on the status and current implementation model of the school breakfast program initiated by the previous administration.

Dr. Shafeeu stated that the breakfast program remains operational but has been restructured to better align with the country’s current socio-economic requirements. He noted that while the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had initially pledged to provide breakfast to all students, even the previous government eventually pivoted toward assisting only those in specific need.

According to the Minister, the most effective approach for the Maldives is to provide targeted support to vulnerable students. He explained that these students are identified at the start of each academic year through collaboration with local island authorities to ensure that those requiring aid are adequately supported.

The breakfast initiative, which was previously rolled out in phases under a specific schedule, had faced significant interruptions following the global COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently discontinued in its original form by the previous administration.