- Obligations: Berlin should persist in financing elementary education schools.
Various groups and campaigns are advocating for the continuation of complimentary lunches at Berlin's primary schools, which the government covers. For instance, the Berlin Nutrition Council, the State School Board, the Berlin Child Welfare Association, and the Berlin Consumer Center voiced their support in a public letter to the Senate.
It's narrow-minded and inappropriate for political figures from the ruling parties CDU and SPD to challenge the free meal program. As per their stance, "A nutritious diet, particularly during children's formative years, serves as the basis for healthy development and promotes educational equity and societal participation."
Initiated by the Senate, and specifically the SPD, in 2019, the state-subsidized lunch program has faced criticism. Critics argue that prosperous parents can afford to pay for their children's school meals, and the primary concern should be enhancing the meal's quality, a task that could be accomplished with additional funding.
The Berlin Child Welfare Association expressed its support for the continuation of complimentary lunches in a letter to the Senate. The Senate, led by the SPD, introduced the state-subsidized lunch program in 2019.
