Starting with September 1, 2025, the fifth-ninth graders will benefit from free breakfast. A decision in this regard was approved on Wednesday by the Cabinet, IPN reports.

"The decision will benefit almost 160,000 children of over 1,000 educational institutions starting with the new school year. In 2025, we will invest about 200 million lei and next year the costs will increase to almost 600 million lei," Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun stated in a press conference held after the Cabinet’s meeting.

The minister believes that, in addition to the nutritional benefits it offers, the breakfast will contribute to increasing academic performance and reducing school absenteeism.

The method of supply will vary depending on the educational institution. For most of them, hot meals prepared in schools will be offered. But there will also be about 50-60 institutions that are among the largest in the country, where the number of students fed will increase by about 700 and they will get food in the form of packages. The content of the food package is to be decided at public consultations.

This support will also benefit students from vocational schools and sports schools, as well as those from the fifth-twelfth grades who are in the eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova, in Bender municipality and educational institutions of the security zone.