Svyrydenko has announced free school meals for all schoolchildren from 1 September
This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko following a meeting with the heads of regional military administrations.
From 1 September, Ukraine plans to extend the free hot meals programme to all schoolchildren.
According to Yulia Svyrydenko, the next stage of the reform will be to provide lunches for pupils in years 5–11.
Currently, free meals are already available to all children in frontline communities, as well as to pupils in years 1–4 across all regions of Ukraine.
How much funding has been allocated
In preparation for the launch of the next stage, the government has already allocated 1 billion hryvnias for the modernisation of school canteens.
Funding will be provided to 73 school canteens across various regions of Ukraine. These funds are to be used to upgrade infrastructure so that schools can provide not only free but also high-quality hot meals.
How the programme developed
Free hot lunches for pupils in Years 1–4 were launched in autumn 2024.
The Ministry of Education and Science previously explained that the government had approved a state subsidy for meals for primary school pupils. Prior to this, free meals were mainly guaranteed for children from disadvantaged groups, whilst decisions regarding other pupils depended on the resources available to local communities.
In 2025, UAH 2.8 billion was allocated in the state budget to provide meals for primary school pupils.
What was said previously
The government had previously stated that pupils in years 1–11 would receive free meals nationwide from September 2026. It was also noted that the state is preparing the necessary decisions to launch this phase of the programme.
In 2025, the Ministry of Education and Science separately announced a gradual expansion of the programme: initially for primary school pupils, then for older pupils in frontline and border regions, and subsequently for a wider range of schoolchildren.
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