There was free lunch program before but it went back to having parent-subsidized student
lunch where parents pay 25 cents a day or $40 a year to supplement the lunch for their children.
This, however, becomes one of the problems that several schools in Palau face because some parents cannot afford to pay for it.
During the conference, the topic received a mixed reaction from the group, said Senator Kathy Kesolei. Some believe it’s good to provide free lunch for these kids so that they can study better and not quit school.
However, Senator Kesolei shared, “The other group believes that it’s supposed to be the responsibility of the parents to provide lunch for their kids, and that it should not be taken away from them.” Others argued that the 25 cents a day for lunch is a simple responsibility of parents.
“But the problem is that some parents are not prioritizing the needs of their kids,” Senator Kesolei said. “The children should come first before tobacco and cigarettes and beer and customs.”
“So there was no solution agreed yet,” said the senator. “But there’s an ongoing discussion about it, and the president said he’s going to look into the possibility of giving free lunch to students again.”
It’s sad that some kids actually go to school with empty stomach, she said, that’s why one of the messages that they wanted to give to women was, “What is your priority, isn’t it your children?”
During the same event, the women of Palau gave a donation to Koror Elementary School, Meyuns Elementary School and Harris Elementary School to pay for next year’s lunch of students whose parents cannot afford to pay for it.
