Sri Lanka Holds Landmark National School Meal Forum in Partnership with Save the Children

Sri Lanka has taken a significant step towards strengthening the nutritional well-being of its schoolchildren, with the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education joining forces with international humanitarian organisation Save the Children to host the country's inaugural National School Meal Forum.

A Historic First for Sri Lanka

The landmark forum marks the first time Sri Lanka has convened a dedicated national-level platform focused exclusively on school meal programmes, bringing together key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the education sector to address the nutritional needs of students across the island.

The partnership between the Ministry and Save the Children signals a renewed commitment to ensuring that children attending schools in Sri Lanka have access to adequate and nutritious meals, a factor widely recognised as critical to improving both attendance and academic performance.

Why School Meals Matter

School meal programmes have long been identified by education experts and child welfare advocates as one of the most effective tools for reducing dropout rates, improving concentration in the classroom, and supporting the healthy development of children — particularly those from low-income and vulnerable households.

In Sri Lanka, where economic pressures in recent years have placed additional strain on many families, the importance of a reliable and nutritious school meal has become even more pronounced.

Bringing Stakeholders Together

The forum served as a platform for policymakers, educators, nutrition specialists, and representatives from non-governmental organisations to exchange insights and explore sustainable approaches to expanding and improving school feeding initiatives nationwide.

• Strengthening existing school meal infrastructure across provinces
• Improving the nutritional quality and diversity of meals provided to students
• Identifying funding mechanisms and partnerships to sustain programmes long-term
• Addressing gaps in coverage, particularly in rural and underserved communities

A Collaborative Path Forward

The collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education and Save the Children reflects a growing recognition that tackling child hunger and malnutrition requires coordinated effort across both public institutions and international organisations with on-the-ground expertise.

Save the Children, which has maintained a long-standing presence in Sri Lanka, brings considerable experience in child nutrition and school feeding programmes from its work across the globe, offering valuable knowledge that can be adapted to the local context.

The inaugural forum is expected to lay the groundwork for a more structured and policy-driven national approach to school meals in Sri Lanka, with outcomes from the discussions likely to inform future government planning and resource allocation in the education and nutrition sectors.