Meal subsidies for needy kids to continue during holiday
Meal subsidies for more than 47,000 primary and secondary school students from low-income families will continue over the month-long school break, which has been brought forward to begin tomorrow.
In a joint statement yesterday, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced a dollar-for-dollar contribution for the initiative.
STSPMF has committed up to $2 million, with MOE matching every dollar distributed.
MOE had provided school meal subsidies during the period of full home-based learning, which started on April 8 and ends today.
Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah said: "This is what the spirit of SGTogether and SGUnited is about - pooling resources and helping each other so that we can all pull through together."
The children will receive school smartcard top-ups in two tranches, with primary and secondary school students receiving $60 and $120 respectively.
BENEFIT
It will benefit more than 47,000 on the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), MOE Independent School Bursary, and Special Education FAS, who have been receiving meal subsidies during the school term.
The school smartcard can be used for payment at certain convenience stores and supermarkets, as well as 146 hawker centres and coffee shops. The stalls that accept it will display the ez-link logo.
Eligible students can approach their school for the list of merchants that accept school smartcard payments.
The first top-up can be redeemed at TransitLink add value machines from tomorrow, and the second will be available from May 18.
The redemption period for both top-ups will end on June 10.
Eligible students will be informed about disbursement arrangements by their schools.
The STSPMF provides school pocket money to about 10,000 primary, secondary and post-secondary students from low-income families yearly. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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