WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao's Ministry of Education does not know how many schoolchildren need breakfast or lunch assistance each day and has no centralized records showing how many students currently receive food support. The ministry also lacks information about which neighborhoods have the greatest need for school meals.
This was revealed in written answers from Minister of Education Sithree van Heydoorn to nine parliamentary questions submitted in August by PAR parliamentary leader Quincy Girigorie.
The minister's responses, dated September 7, were received by the Curaçao Parliament on October 8.
Van Heydoorn acknowledged that proper nutrition is essential for children's development and academic performance. However, he indicated that responsibility for identifying food assistance needs and implementing food programs rests primarily with the Ministry of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW).
As a result, the Ministry of Education does not maintain a central database on the number of students receiving food assistance.
Girigorie had requested specific figures on how many children attend school without adequate nutrition, how many receive breakfast or lunch through existing programs, and whether government support is sufficient to address the problem.
The education minister was unable to provide concrete numbers.
The ministry also could not establish how many children received daily meals during the 2025–2026 academic year or how many are expected to benefit from food assistance during the current 2026–2027 school year.
The absence of these figures raises questions about how the government evaluates the effectiveness of school nutrition initiatives and determines whether additional financial resources are necessary.
In his parliamentary questions, Girigorie referred to Fundashon Tur Mucha Mester Kome, an organization that has reportedly provided daily meals to more than 700 children for over seven years.
The foundation receives financial support from the government, among other sources. However, Van Heydoorn could not establish whether the subsidy is sufficient to reach all children who need assistance, explaining that the assessment falls under SOAW's responsibility.
The minister was similarly unable to identify the neighborhoods where children are most vulnerable to food insecurity.
This lack of geographical information makes it difficult to determine whether existing assistance programs are reaching the communities with the greatest needs.
Van Heydoorn acknowledged that research into equal educational opportunities in Curaçao demonstrates that socioeconomic circumstances significantly influence children's development and educational prospects.
According to the minister, adequate nutrition is not merely a health concern but a fundamental requirement for children to participate effectively in education.
Girigorie requested the information ahead of parliamentary discussions on the government's 2027 budget, arguing that lawmakers need reliable figures to determine whether sufficient resources are being allocated to school nutrition.
The parliamentary exchange highlights a significant information gap between the government's recognition of childhood food insecurity as an educational concern and its ability to measure the extent of the problem.
Although the Ministry of Education has directed responsibility for food assistance figures to SOAW, the responses do not establish whether a comprehensive national overview is available elsewhere within the government.
For Parliament, the unanswered questions leave a central issue unresolved: how can the government determine whether every child who needs food assistance is receiving it without knowing the full extent of the need?