The bill, announced by Together, is part of the educational policy model known, among others from Sweden, Finland and Estonia. According to Marcelina Zawisza, his goal is to support all students, regardless of their parents' income. According to the MP, the introduction of free meals will help eliminate stigmatization of children on a material background, which can be felt at the current system.
“It's not just a matter of poverty. Even in the so -called Good homes have situations in which children come to school without a proper meal” – emphasized Zawisza. She pointed out that schools are noting signals from teachers who more and more often have to respond to cases of malnutrition among students.” Free meals are the absolute minimum that the state can provide to its citizens ” – she noted, supporting with research indicating that malnutrition has a negative impact on their results in science.
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Will there be wide support?
According to current regulations, primary schools are obliged to provide at least one hot meal a day, but the use of this option is payable and voluntary. Such a system, as the MP indicates, often leads to stigmatization of children from less affluent families, and also does not solve problems in those cases where parents do not show enough care for their children's daily diet.
As part of the current legislative initiative, he counts on the support of both opposition and the rulers. – “I assume that the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050 and the left will sign our project, because the matter is supreme. Even in the richest countries that are so high in global economic rankings, such as Poland, malnutrition among children is something unacceptable” – said Zawisza.
Together, MPs will appeal to other groups to sign the law, which will enable its further legislative process. Meanwhile, the head of the circle reminded that A similar solution was already proposed by the left in 2022, but got stuck in the so -called “Sejm freezer”. At that time, the costs of the free meal program were estimated at PLN 6.6 billion a year, which was to include the issue of one two -course meal to each student.
The proposal of changes in the educational law is to be presented on Thursday and, as MPs announce, together will strive for a wide consensus in this matter among parliamentarians.
