In response to the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that schools across the country from the elementary to senior high level would begin the new semester on Feb. 25. Mayor Lu of Taichung City will continue to provide lunch coupons from Feb. 11 to Feb. 24. The Department of Education of Taichung City Government has already contacted the manufacturer to print out lunch coupons and notified schools at the high school level and lower to collect at the Yangming Building, and schools will notify disadvantaged students or their parents to collect coupons.
The Department of Education of Taichung City Government explained that lunch coupons are issued to municipal schools in Taichung, students who meet the standard of low-income and middle-low-income households, students whose families encounter accidents and misfortunes, or students who are considered by mentors as in need of financial assistance. These students can receive meals with their coupons. The city government has invested 23.09898 million NTD, and this year, 21,999 students benefited during the winter vacation. To support the extension of the winter vacation, the city government also invested an additional 10.99 million NTD to take care of disadvantaged students.
The Department of Education of Taichung City Government stated that disadvantaged students will obtain full food allowance in schools and lunch coupons during holidays, the winter vacation, and the summer vacation. The city government has worked with chain convenience stores and supermarkets to provide more convenient and diverse options for disadvantaged students. Besides, the Social Affairs Bureau also set up "love protection stations" at convenience stores to assist disadvantaged children who are under 18 in collecting free meals and to solve their urgent needs of food.
Source: Taichung City Government
