Mendikdasmen: MBG boosts student attendance at schools

The Free Nutritious Meals program is seen as helping increase student attendance at schools. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti said many children come to school because they receive healthy, nutritious meals through the program. He made the assessment in a series of cooperation activities between Badan Gizi Nasional and Kemendikdasmen. According to Abdul Mu’ti, MBG’s impact does not stop at meeting students’ nutritional needs. The program is also seen as able to encourage enthusiasm for learning and support education quality. In schools, its implementation is said to serve as a tool for character building, from lining up in an orderly way, keeping clean, and praying before and after meals, to appreciating the food served. He added that data on MBG recipients in the education environment has been integrated with Data Pokok Pendidikan or Dapodik.