Athlete Praises Welsh Government for Extension of Free Student Meal Program

English soccer player Marcus Rashford has commended the Welsh government for extending its free meal program for students until Easter 2021. The government-sponsored program provides free meals every school holiday. More than 75,000 students aged 5 to 15 across Wales can benefit from the program. In the summer, Rashford successfully campaigned for the program and later pushed for its extension in England. The athlete urged UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to approve the extension, but his government declined Rashford’s request. The Welsh government’s decision to extend the program, however, will put more pressure on England to do the same. To fund the free meal program, the Welsh government allocated £11 million (around ¥1.5 billion). Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirmed the extension in October. She hopes that the government’s support can give reassurance during these trying times. Williams has worked tirelessly to support the students since the start of the pandemic. According to her, Wales was the first nation in the UK to make sure that students were provided free meals during the summer holidays. Following the announcement of the program’s extension in Wales, Rashford expressed his delight for the Welsh government’s decision. He commented that the program’s extension will have a positive impact on children whose studies have been affected by Covid-19. The athlete believes that no child in a classroom should worry about issues like accessing food, unemployment of parents, or health problems.