Breakfast at school, more children in class: Telangana survey records 13% rise in enrolment

A survey of government schools in Telangana's Kodangal constituency has found that a free breakfast programme is associated with higher enrolment, better attendance and fewer complaints of hunger among students, according to a report prepared by Third Vision Research and Services.

The scheme was launched on June 15 as a restructured breakfast programme for students from pre-primary to Intermediate level, as assured earlier by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Its first phase covered 1,302 institutions — 1,269 schools and 33 junior colleges — reaching around 1.45 lakh students. The government has said the scheme will be extended to all schools in a phased manner. The programme is implemented by the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation through a centralised kitchen, and provides breakfast and milk to students in government primary and high schools.

The evaluation covered 575 parents, 1,153 students and 176 teachers and headmasters in Kodangal, the constituency represented by the Chief Minister. The findings are based on feedback from these stakeholders rather than on independently verified administrative records, and relate to a single constituency.

Across 60 schools — 30 primary and 30 high schools — the report recorded a 13% increase in enrolment compared with the previous academic year, amounting to 1,525 additional students, including 882 boys and 643 girls.

On attendance, the survey reported an increase of 20–22% based on stakeholder feedback. As many as 89.2% of teachers and headmasters said attendance had improved, while 92.8% of parents said their children were more willing to attend school regularly.

Acceptance of the programme among students appeared high. Nearly 99.9% of students surveyed said they ate the breakfast served at school, and 86.4% reported attending school every day. All students surveyed said milk was provided on alternate days.

Teachers reported a reduction in hunger during school hours, with 98.3% saying complaints of hunger had fallen and 89.2% saying students were arriving on time more often. About 89.2% observed fewer mid-morning health problems, 88.1% said students were more energetic, and 83% reported greater participation in class. Improvements in academic interest and concentration were reported by 81.2% and 76.1% of teachers respectively.

Among parents, 95.7% rated the breakfast good or very good, and 96.2% said they would recommend government schools to others.

Student feedback was also largely positive. About 91.3% rated the taste of the food good or better, and 92.7% gave similar ratings to food quality. Freshness received favourable ratings from 95.9% of students and cleanliness from 92.3%. Satisfaction with the quantity served was comparatively lower, at 84.6%.

Bonda with chutney was the most preferred item, liked by 98.1% of students, followed by dosa with chutney at 95.3% and millet idli with sambar at 93.6%. Upma with chutney was the least popular among the listed items, with 75% of students saying they liked or ate it. About 29.2% suggested adding vada to the menu.

The report indicates that a school meal can influence whether families send children to class, though the findings rest on perceptions reported by parents, students and teachers rather than on a comparison with control schools. The scheme's expansion to all schools in phases, and independent verification of enrolment and attendance data, will be the measures against which its wider impact is assessed.