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Taipei City Councilor Urges Free Lunches for Disadvantaged High School Students

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Taipei City will provide free school lunches for all public and private elementary and junior high school students starting in September.
  • A city councilor is urging the mayor to extend free lunch subsidies to disadvantaged high school students, arguing the current NT$65 subsidy is insufficient.
  • The mayor has agreed to have the education department calculate the costs for expanding the subsidy and provide a response within two weeks.

Taipei's commitment to ensuring every child, from elementary to junior high, receives a free nutritious meal is a commendable step forward. This policy, set to launch in September with a significant budget allocation, underscores the city's dedication to student welfare and equitable education.

Taipei City's elementary and junior high school students will have free school lunches starting this September, with a total budget of NT$3.6 billion.

— Reporter He Yu-huaReporting on the new free school lunch policy.

However, the current disparity in support for high school students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, remains a pressing concern. Councilor Yen Jo-fang's advocacy highlights the inadequacy of the existing NT$65 subsidy, which falls short of covering the actual cost of meals at many high schools. This leaves vulnerable students struggling to afford adequate nutrition, a situation that contradicts the city's broader goals of educational equity.

Disadvantaged students in high schools and vocational schools only receive a subsidy of NT$65.

— Taipei City Councilor Yen Jo-fangHighlighting the disparity in subsidies between different educational levels.

The call to raise the subsidy to NT$80 and expand eligibility to include students from low-income, middle-low-income, indigenous, and disabled backgrounds is a reasonable one. Neighboring cities like Taichung, New Taipei, and Taoyuan have already implemented more comprehensive support systems, demonstrating that such policies are both feasible and necessary. The proposed increase would only add approximately NT$85 million annually, a modest sum considering the profound impact it would have on the well-being and academic performance of these students.

If the subsidy amount is increased from the current NT$65 to a reasonable NT$80, it will only cost an additional NT$85 million per year.

— Taipei City Councilor Yen Jo-fangEstimating the cost of increasing the subsidy for high school students.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an's willingness to consider this proposal and direct the education department to conduct a thorough cost analysis is a positive sign. We trust that the city government will act swiftly and decisively to ensure that all students, regardless of their educational level, receive the support they need to thrive. This is not just about providing meals; it's about investing in our future generation and upholding the principle of equal opportunity for all.

We will ask the Department of Education to conduct a precise calculation and provide a response within two weeks.

— Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-anResponding to the councilor's request to expand lunch subsidies.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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