
Tervislikumaks koolitoiduks pole lisaraha ette nähtud
No additional funding is planned for healthier school meals
Riik soovib, et lasteaedades ja koolides söödaks rohkem tervislikku toitu. Lisaraha selleks ei ole planeeritud.
The state wants to serve healthier food in kindergartens and schools. No additional funding is planned for this.
Currently, the school lunch subsidy is one euro per day. It has been the same since 2018. In addition, local governments and, in some places, parents also contribute. For example, in Tartu, parents currently pay between 80 cents and 1.60 euros per day. In the new school year, their payments will increase by 20 cents.
In Türi municipality schools, the state and the local government pay for the food. All schools have their own kitchens and cooks. For example, Laupa Basic School offers free morning porridge. School director Kaarel Aluoja says that the new food requirements are good, but the money issue is complicated. Prices are rising.
The school director says that those who set the rules should also provide the money. The new school year starts on September 1, but the state is not providing additional funding. Local governments have already made their budgets.
Ingrid Põldsaar, an advisor at the Ministry of Social Affairs, says that the new regulation should not increase the price of food. More expensive foods, such as seeds and nuts, have been excluded. The state does not plan to increase the school lunch subsidy. Local governments must decide for themselves how to find the money.
Baltic Restaurants Estonia provides food in 85 schools across Estonia. The company's director, Aaro Lode, says that the problem is the lack of a national strategy. Local governments make separate demands that increase the price. This creates differences among children.