Ministry of Education jointly with the Ministry of Health protection and the Ministry of Antimonopoly regulation and trade as well as other committed parties pay close attention to the issue of quality and save catering.

In 2023/2024 academic year catering service will cover more than a million students from grade 1 to 11.

Last year 23 institutions were selected for a pilot catering project. The project saw 17 city schools and gymnasiums and 6 schools located in rural areas.

The pilot project involved testing new cooking technologies and principles of organizing school meals to further apply the positive experience. As stipulated by the Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 870 of December 15, 2022, the pilot project has been running since December 19, 2022 and lasted until the end of a school year.

During the project, the participants tried new technologies of food making and there are changes in the organization of school dinners.

Current task: to prepare qualified personnel and conduct an exam in order to provide successful implementation of the project in the future.

One part of schools will transfer to the new approach on September 1, this year. The second stage is planned to start on January 1, 2024 while the third one on September 1, 2024.

The preparation of meals will take place, as a rule, using the Information Collection of Technological Cards of Dishes and Products prepared by the Ministry of Education taking into account the taste preferences of students.

The collection is available in the public domain on the website of the Ministry of Education (https://www.edu.gov.by/pitanie/) same links are available on the websites of the main departments for education of regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, departments for education of the district executive committees, institutions of general secondary education.

The Information Collection includes the most popular dishes that correspond to the principles of children's diet. The collection contains 329 technological maps that have received a hygienic assessment and approved by the heads of either School Nutrition Control or other institutions organizing meals, or educational institutions, or centers for ensuring the activities of budgetary organizations.

All dishes and products listed in the Collection have undergone experimental technological testing, they are based on the use of gentle cooking methods and are designed to ensure the implementation of the principles of a healthy diet.

Taking into account the results of the pilot project, the officials adopted the following meals for students:

1-4 classes - breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea;

5-11 classes - lunch, afternoon tea, dinner.

For example, recommended breakfast time is 2-2.5 hours after school starts
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The monetary norms for food expenses have been increased from 6 to 22% depending on the type of educational institution and the age of students (Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of August 23, 2023 No. 555 “On changing the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of April 27, 2013 No. 317").

For example, the monetary norm for 6-10 years is 4.58 rubles with three meals a day. (5.95 - if SNC): breakfast - 35% 1.6 rubles. (2.08), lunch - 50% 2.29 rubles. (2.98), afternoon snack - 15% 0.69 rubles. (0.89).

Free one-time (from 3.5 hours to 6 hours of stay), two-time (6-8 hours of stay), three-time (8-10.5 hours of stay) catering is provided to 13 categories of students. Four categories of students depending on the zone of radioactive contamination are eligible for free catering at the expense of the republican budget allocated to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl NPP disaster.

In total, more than 700,000 students will receive free meals.

About 350 thousand students will receivecatering for the payment of parents (legal representatives).
Catering is not mandatory and it is not enforced by regulatory legal acts. In the event of a refusal, written confirmation is not required. At the same time, we are sure that every parent will make sure that the child receives meals at school.

If you have any questions about catering or cooking, feel free to write to @voprosy_pitanie_bot chat bot in the Telegram messenger and ask bothering-you questions.