The Bhutanese Leading the way.
While the One-Child, One-Egg Initiative has expanded access to eggs for thousands of students across Bhutan, some public lower secondary schools continue to provide eggs through a different funding mechanism.
The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) said public lower secondary schools are not included under the One-Child, One-Egg Initiative, but continue to receive egg supplementation through an increased school feeding stipend introduced in July 2025.
The initiative currently covers 335 schools, including extended classrooms, primary schools, and five special institutes, benefiting 31,579 students.
The ministry said the programme was approved to support approximately 32,000 students over two years, with coverage determined based on the approved scope and available resources.
For schools outside the initiative, the responsibility of purchasing eggs rests with the schools using the increased feeding stipend.
MoESD said the revised stipend has allowed schools to improve the quality and variety of meals provided to students.
Laya Middle Secondary School is one such school. As reported by this paper, the school does not receive eggs directly through the One-Child, One-Egg Initiative but purchases eggs using the feeding stipend.
MoESD said students at Laya MSS continue to receive one egg daily as part of their regular meal menu. The ministry said the increase in the monthly feeding stipend from Nu 1,500 to Nu 3,100 per child has helped schools include more nutritious food items such as eggs, vegetables, and fruits.
The ministry added that for remote schools like Laya, transportation challenges are addressed through support from the Dzongkhag Administration, which covers transportation costs to ensure schools can provide meals according to national menu guidelines.
However, schools say purchasing eggs through the stipend can sometimes depend on market availability and prices.
At Kheni Lower Secondary School in Trashiyangtse, which has 194 students from PP to VIII, the school initially purchased eggs from a local farmers’ group. However, the supplier stopped providing eggs from April this year, according to Principal Dawa Tshering.
“We have now switched to the poultry farm in Rangjung, Trashigang,” he said.
He said the school receives Nu 1,450 per day scholar and Nu 2,150 per boarder student per month for feeding expenses.
“Through the stipend we purchase about 49 trays per month,” Dawa Tshering said.
At the school, boarders receive three meals a day, while day scholars receive two meals. In addition to eggs, the school provides fruits, yogurt, bread, milk, and curd to improve students’ nutritional intake.
Meanwhile, Tendruk Central School in Samtse, which has 1,178 students from PP to XII, also purchases eggs through the feeding stipend.
A school source said 386 students are boarders and receive three meals daily, while day scholars receive lunch and evening snacks.
The school purchases around 60 cartons of eggs using the stipend. However, the source said fluctuations in market prices can affect the school’s ability to maintain supplies.
“Sometimes when the quotation rate increases, the stipend money is not enough. However, when the rate remains the same, the school can afford to buy it from the stipend itself,” the source said.
For vegetarian students, the school replaces eggs and meat with tofu, while other students also receive meat, yogurt, and milk as part of their meals.
The school said boarding students currently receive Nu 3,000 per month for feeding expenses.
From this, the school receives other essentials from the MoESD like meat, oil, and vegetables, which totals Nu 900,” the source said. “This means the school receives Nu 2,100 for boarder students and Nu 1,035 for day scholars,” he added.
He further said that from next month, Nu 335 from the stipend provided for day scholars will be deducted by the ministry to supply items such as meat and vegetables to the school.
For schools relying on the feeding stipend, ensuring students receive eggs regularly involves more than just having funds available.
Schools said they must identify reliable suppliers, manage fluctuations in market prices, and make decisions on how best to allocate limited resources while continuing to meet students’ nutritional needs.
