Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti lauded the BGN for accelerating nutritional fulfillment programs targeting students.
"With the Free Nutritious Meals program, God willing, we will have a generation that is healthier, stronger, and has a strong character," he said in a written statement.
Quality education and student health cannot be separated, he explained. Good nutritional status plays a major role in supporting cognitive development, improving concentration, and enhancing children's academic performance at school.
The minister further said that the Free Nutritious Meals program not only aims to improve student nutrition but is also a means to build character education by instilling the values of responsibility and independence in students, among other things.
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He added that his ministry fully supports the free meals program as part of efforts to build a healthy and strong generation that has strong and noble character.
On the same occasion, BGN head Dadan Hindayana said that the cooperation is part of the national strategy to reduce malnutrition in schoolchildren,
He emphasized the importance of ensuring access to balanced nutrition for poor families.
Therefore, his agency is seeking to ensure that each child, especially those from vulnerable groups, gets balanced nutrition.
Balanced nutrition, he explained, includes protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fruit, and milk. If this intervention is not carried out early, Indonesia is at risk of having a less qualified productive workforce in 2045.
Through the cooperation, the government is hoping to ensure that each Indonesian child can grow with adequate nutritional intake and have a brighter future.
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Translator: Hana Dewi, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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