Greece expands school meal program to more students

The Greek government is expanding the "School Meals" program to 125 additional primary schools for the 2026-2027 school year.

This expansion will provide an extra 15,806 meals every day to students across the country. The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family is providing 7,302,372 euros in additional funding to support the initiative. This budget will be split between 2,086,392 euros for 2026 and 5,215,980 euros for 2027.

The Organization of Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA) manages the program, which has been active since 2017 to provide warm meals and financial relief to families. The program now includes more school units in regions such as Attica, Thessaloniki, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, Sterea Ellada, Peloponnese, West Greece, Crete, and the Aegean and Ionian islands. The expansion specifically targets special primary schools and schools in remote areas, ensuring that students with disabilities also receive coverage.

Domna Michailidou, the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, stated that the expansion aims to ensure children have access to healthy nutrition regardless of their family's economic situation. Sofia Zacharaki, the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports, noted that the inclusion of remote schools helps improve the daily living conditions for students.