Taipei City plans to provide free lunches to all elementary and junior high school students beginning as early as this September. This Wednesday, the Taiwan Parents’ Education Alliance (TPEA) called for a clause to exclude children from wealthy families in order to direct funds to disadvantaged students, offering additional subsidies of up to three meals per day.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced that approximately 180,000 students will benefit from the program, worth NT$2 billion (US$63 million), at a municipal meeting on Tuesday.

In a press release issued Wednesday, the TPEA voiced concern that Taipei’s policy could divert funding from other education needs if it is adopted by cities and counties nationwide. They also expressed concern about mayoral candidates making similar campaign promises ahead of the elections at the end of this year.

Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之), chair of the TPEA, encouraged other city and county leaders to make prudent education investments, saying such policies may appear fair but do little to address Taiwan’s severely low birth rate or meaningfully prioritize education.

Hsieh Kuo-ching (謝國清), TPEA convener, detailed that the monthly costs for lunch per person are typically below NT$1,000 (US$32), which he said is affordable for middle-class families. He underscored how hundreds of millions of dollars would need to be allocated annually for the program should these meals be fully subsidized.

The TPEA urged Taipei City to reconsider its policy, proposing clauses that would exclude children from wealthier families and redirect funding to disadvantaged students. They also suggested expanding lunch subsidies to cover three meals a day and extending meals support through winter and summer vacations for students in need.