A national consultation forum that concluded in Hawassa last week highlighted a major success story in Ethiopia's education sector: the nationwide school feeding program. According to top education officials, the program is delivering tangible results by not only improving student performance but also significantly cutting down on school dropout rates.

The forum, attended by Minister of Education Professor Berhanu Nega and other key regional leaders, served as a platform for bureaus to share their recent findings.

The head of the Oromia Education Bureau, Tola Beriso, confirmed that over 6 million students from pre-school through fourth grade are now benefiting from daily meals. This positive impact is already visible, with students showing better academic results and a noticeable reduction in the number of children leaving school prematurely. To ensure the program's long-term viability, he noted that schools are increasingly raising revenue through community support initiatives like "Busa Gonofa" and by developing dedicated school lands.

In the Amhara region, education bureau head Mulunesh Dessie emphasized that their school feeding program is a critical component in ensuring quality education and helping students become more competitive. In the last academic year alone, over 294,800 students benefited. She added that the regional government has allocated over 326 million birr for the program, with ongoing efforts to mobilize additional resources from the public and investors.

Echoing these positive reports, Anteneh Fekadu, head of the Central Ethiopia region's Education Bureau, stated that a community-based feeding program has been successfully launched, reaching over 118,000 students. Anteneh  affirmed that the program has markedly improved students' learning and performance, helping to lower dropout rates and contribute to overall education quality, ENA reported.