Extending milk programme to secondary schools being considered

TELUK INTAN: The Education Ministry is considering extending the 1Malaysia Milk Programme (PS1M) to secondary schools in future, as proposed by parents.
Its deputy minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan (pix) said the ministry would consider the proposal based on the current financial allocations so that the benefits derived from PS1M for primary schools could be extended to secondary schools nationwide.
"This proposal is contained in the list of proposals that we received from the parent-teacher associations and local leaders," he told reporters after the launching of the Perak state-level PS1M at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Ladang Batak Rabit, here, today.
Kamalanathan said PS1M was aimed at improving the nutrition and health of primary school pupils to ensure optimum levels in their physical growth, and mental and general health.
He said 757,439 pupils from 7,780 primary schools across the country benefited from PS1M this year.
For this programme, he added, the ministry had allocated RM49.3 million for the period of July 3 to Dec 2, 2017.
"The milk supplied is for selected pupils from the low socio-economic stratum and lacking in nutrients," the deputy minister said.
Previously, the School Milk Programme was implemented fully by the education ministry from 1983 until it was rebranded as PS1M on July 9, 2010.
It is part of the Supplementary Food Programme aimed at encouraging milk consumption among primary school pupils. — Bernama