RMB 16 Billion

The State Council approved a funding program to improve the nutrition of rural children. Starting in the fall semester of 2011, the central budget will apportion RMB 16 billion annually to subsidize school-provided meals for students from the first to the ninth grades, the period of compulsory education in China. The government is also to demand increased supervision of school kitchens to ensure food safety standards. The subsidy is designed to broaden the range of food available to students and cannot be paid in cash to them or their families. To avoid fraud, embezzlement or bad practice, school kitchens are required to release their spending accounts and nutrition standards to the public. It is estimated that 26 million rural children will benefit from this program.