“Studies clearly show that child hunger is one of the most serious issues in Georgia, for which the state has no tangible response. It is entirely possible to allocate 100 million GEL from Tbilisi’s budget for free school meals, and we will definitely do it,” stated Irakli Kupradze, the Tbilisi mayoral candidate for “Lelo-Strong Georgia” and the “Gakharia for Georgia” party, during a briefing.
According to Kupradze, studies indicate that in Georgia, every third or fourth child experiences hunger during the school day.
“I congratulate every parent and student on the start of the new school year, but we must not forget the significant problems that affect our future, our children, and the 200,000 students in Tbilisi. According to all studies published and conducted by reputable international organizations in recent years, it is clear that child hunger is one of the most serious issues in Georgia. Every third or fourth child in schools experiences acute hunger during the school day, which affects their abilities and development. The state has no tangible response to this. They are not interested in child hunger.
According to the PISA study published in recent years, it is clear that among 81 countries surveyed, Georgian students rank among the lowest. Specifically, they rank 66th in reading comprehension, 60th in natural sciences, 66th in mathematics, and so on. This reflects the dire situation of child hunger in schools. We, the opposition coalition parties, managed to address child hunger in Tsalenjikha with a similar project, where we started introducing free school meals. This addresses the problem of child hunger in educational institutions. Today, Tbilisi needs exactly this approach. Children should not go hungry in schools. It is entirely possible to allocate 100 million GEL from Tbilisi’s budget, which we will definitely do. The 200,000 students living in Tbilisi will receive healthy meals during the school day.
We, the citizens, the population of Tbilisi, must understand that the correct redistribution of priorities is essential. This is an investment in our future, in our children, whose development must be irreversibly directed toward prosperity. Their health and development must be a priority. Our main promise is that we will allocate 100 million GEL for the 200,000 students in Tbilisi to ensure free meals in schools,” stated Irakli Kupradze.
Irakli Kupradze: Child hunger is one of the most serious issues in Georgia – it is entirely possible to allocate 100 million GEL from Tbilisi’s budget for free school meals, and we will definitely do it
