Québec Solidaire (QS) spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois proposes that the government introduce a lunch program in all public schools by 2030.
• Also read: Meals provided to all students: most Quebecers pro
• Also read: “1 in 5 children in schools are hungry”: Québec Solidaire emphasizes school meals
“It is possible to feed all the children in our schools,” he said Sunday during a public meeting in Montreal’s Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district.
The program will be on a voluntary basis and will be implemented gradually. The elected official estimates that lunch boxes will be served in all elementary schools by 2027. We will have to wait until 2030 for this program across the province.
“Families in Quebec are increasingly struggling to make ends meet. The result: one child in five is hungry,” explains Mr Nadeau-Dubois.
“If I were Minister of Education or Prime Minister, this statistic would keep me up at night,” he adds.
Account X Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois
Annual deployment investment is estimated at $770 million.
Parents could also contribute to the plan if they wish by paying up to $7 per meal.
“A child who is hungry at school is a child who does not realize his potential, he is a child who will have a much smaller chance of succeeding in school and thus in life,” repeats the interlocutor.
QS believes its program could generate between $1.5 billion and $4.2 billion in economic benefits.
According to a Léger survey commissioned by the party, two out of three Quebecers believe that schools should offer free meals at lunchtime, as is the case in several countries around the world.