Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev reported at the Government session on the work carried out to provide free hot meals to schoolchildren and the formation of a culture of safe behaviour among children.

He noted that on the instructions of the Head of State since last year primary school pupils and children from socially vulnerable groups have been provided with free hot meals.

"At the moment 1.7 million schoolchildren are provided with free hot meals, 162 billion tenge has been allocated from the local budget for this purpose," Gani Beisembayev said.

The Ministry of Education has taken the necessary measures to ensure the quality of nutrition, approved the relevant regulatory legal requirements. These include:

1. Nutrition standards in educational organisations have been revised in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

2. Daily monitoring of the quality of food by brakery commissions and constant monitoring by interdepartmental expert groups have been introduced.

3. A requirement to have a sanitary-epidemiological conclusion of the supplier before the start of activities has been introduced.

4. The requirements for qualification of cooks, their education and work experience have been tightened.

5. The requirement to install video surveillance in the food service area has been introduced.

6. Work is underway to automate the accounting of children receiving free meals within the framework of the ‘Social Purse’ project.

7. Together with the Ministry of Healthcare, a new standard for nutrition in educational organisations has been developed and is planned to come into force in 2025.

It was noted that the Ministry of Education with the participation of the Ministry of Healthcare in September-October this year organised and conducted monitoring of school canteens of the country for compliance with sanitary and epidemiological requirements.

"The results of the republican monitoring raise questions about the quality of school catering, still testify to the lack of control on the part of local executive bodies, which is confirmed by the facts of violation of legal requirements. In particular, I would like to note that during the monitoring work 771 violations were revealed," Gani Beisembayev emphasised.

The Ministry also conducted a comprehensive assessment of the work of local executive bodies on the organisation of school meals. The assessment took into account the results of the monitoring of the quality of nutrition, material and technical equipment of canteens, the cost of food in the regions per 1 pupil, the results of a survey of parents.

According to the results of the monitoring it was found out that akimats of Zhambyl region, Mangystau region, Almaty region, Atyrau region and Shymkent city do not pay due attention to the organisation of quality nutrition in schools.

"This indicates the need to strengthen control by akimats of the above regions. Currently, the Ministry is working on the issue of introducing administrative responsibility of officials for violation of requirements for selection of suppliers in the procurement of school catering services," Gani Beisembayev said.

The Minister added that to improve the quality of school meals Akimats of regions, cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent need to:

- strengthen control over the quality of school meals and compliance with the requirements established by law;

- strictly comply with the requirements of the legislation when selecting suppliers of catering services;

- intensify the systematic work of regional interdepartmental expert groups;

- ensure that the quality of school meals is monitored on a daily basis by food inspection commissions;

- consider the issue of updating the cost of food per child;

- intensify work to modernise school canteens;

- together with the regional departments of the Atameken NGO, conduct awareness-raising activities to increase the responsibility of the business community for the organisation of school meals;

- together with the Ministries of Agriculture, Trade and Integration to work on the issue of providing school canteens with quality and affordable food.

Gani Beisembayev also considers it necessary for the Ministry of Healthcare:

- Provide competence to develop prospective menus for educational organisations;

- to develop amendments to the legislation in terms of constant monitoring of the sanitary and epidemiological condition of schools without prior notice;

- introduce daily monitoring of the quality of food by school health workers;

- to ensure the introduction of a new standard of nutrition in educational institutions, based on international standards, starting from 1 September 2025.

The Education Minister also said that, together with the concerned state bodies, systematic work is being carried out to promote a culture of safe behaviour among children within the framework of the "One Education" programme. In the first 11 months of this year, 4,640 drills among students with the participation of units of the Ministry for Emergency Situations were held.

"In connection with the beginning of the heating season in the regions, there is a need to strengthen fire safety education among children. The Ministry of Education together with the Ministry for Emergency Situations will develop and send to the regions a schedule of exercises on fire safety in educational organisations. We ask Akimats together with local departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to conduct exercises with students in accordance with the schedule," Gani Beisembayev summarised.

#Ministry of Education