On July 17, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan hosted another meeting of the Interdepartmental Coordination Council on School Feeding. Representatives from ministries, government agencies, international organizations, and experts discussed ways to make the school feeding system more reliable, accessible, and effective for children.
Understandable and modern standards
One of the key topics of the meeting was the set of requirements regulating the organization of school meals.
These guidelines shape many aspects of the process: which products can be used, how meals should be stored and prepared, what kitchen facilities should look like, and how hygiene and food safety standards are maintained. These requirements provide the foundation for school canteens to operate efficiently and ensure that children receive safe and nutritious meals every day.
The participants reviewed the current regulatory documents and discussed proposals for their improvement. These standards must reflect today’s realities and incorporate the experience schools have gained in recent years.
Assessing the impact of the Programme
Special attention was given to the State Programme for the Development of School Feeding for 2022–2027. Participants reviewed a proposed monitoring framework that will help assess the progress achieved so far.
Experts will examine what has changed in schools, which approaches have delivered the greatest impact, what challenges remain, and what kind of support is needed in different provinces. It is essential to hear the opinions of those directly involved in the system every day, i.e., school headmasters, cooks, healthcare workers, and representatives of local authorities.
A separate discussion focused on the monitoring plan for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), the Kulob area in Khatlon Province, and Sughd Province.
The results of this work will help develop recommendations for the next stage of the Program, planned for 2028–2032. Future decisions will be based on the actual situation in schools and the needs of children.
Learning from international experience
The meeting also included a presentation on the results of a working visit to Armenia, where specialists explored approaches to developing school feeding systems in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Brazil.
School feeding initiatives vary from country to country. Some focus on sourcing local products, others prioritize training for school cooks, modernizing kitchen facilities, or implementing continuous quality control systems. Sharing these experiences helps identify approaches that have already demonstrated positive results.
However, successful practices cannot simply be transferred from one country to another. They need to be carefully studied and adapted to Tajikistan’s specific conditions, territorial characteristics, and the resources available to schools.
From Council decisions to real changes in schools
School feeding unites several important aspects: education, healthcare, food safety, financing, and professional expertise. This is why representatives from different sectors come together to address issues that directly affect children’s daily lives.
Following the meeting, participants agreed to continue work on updating regulatory documents, conducting monitoring activities, and preparing recommendations for the next national project.
The work of the Coordination Council is rarely visible in the daily school routine. Yet it is where challenges faced by cooks, school leaders, healthcare professionals, and parents are transformed into practical solutions for the entire system. The value of these discussions lies in ensuring that individual school challenges become opportunities for broader improvements that can benefit children across different parts of the country.