The saying that ‘the way to a heart is through the stomach’ seems true, as thousands of children who ordinarily do not go to school, now willingly attend school, giving a plus to western education in Kaduna State. Governor Nasir El-Rufai in January flagged off the free feeding programme of over 1.8 million pupils in over 4,000 primary schools at the cost of 50 naira per pupil, bringing about jubilation from pupils and their parents, some of them telling Daily Trust that it has lifted a burden from them.
Though successive governments in Kaduna made efforts to make primary education compulsory for all children, the introduction of free feeding in addition to the free education and uniforms has brought about massive enrolment into government schools, so much that some parents withdrew their wards from private schools to public schools. Confirming this, Governor El-Rufai in one of his speeches said that there has been 64% increment in primary school enrolment from 1.1m last year to 1.8million due to the free basic education programme of the government.
Daily Trust visited schools, including L.E.A Barnawa 1, Trikania primary school, LEA Demonstration, Kawo and LEA Rijana along Kaduna-Abuja express way and observed that the food vendors arrive at 8:30am, and start serving from 9:00am to 10:00am when the children go on break. It was observed that the pupils are served yam and egg sauce on Mondays, rice and beans on Tuesdays, beans pottage on Wednesdays, Moi Moi and vegetable on Thursdays and biscuits with juice on Fridays.
A group of pupils eating, all expressed excitement at the innovation. One of them who said his name is Inusa, told Daily Trust that the food served in school is just as delicious as what he gets at home. “I’m not driven to distraction with thoughts of what to eat anymore,” he said.
A School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) is always on ground to check the quality of food to be served.
At LEA Demonstration, Kawo, a staff told our reporter that even before the introduction of free feeding, some pupils automatically disappear from school immediately after break time, but he noted that the school is taking stringent measures against such students by ensuring that the teachers watch their students.
However, the children express excitement talking about the food they are served, more than talking about academic work. In spite of the excitement that makes some pupils to demand for more, findings revealed that some don’t eat the meals, saying their parents asked them not to eat in school. “I have never tasted the food they serve us in school and anytime my teacher compels me to, I collect it and give to any of my colleagues willing to eat,” a student said.
Obviously, the programme has succeeded in making unwilling children go to school and has also succeeded in making unwilling parents avail their wards to acquire western education. As such, the programme has received much kudos. But, also, knocks.
To the underprivileged, it is a welcome development and an opportunity for their wards to go to school and at the same be fed at least once a day. But many argue that the over N300million spent weekly on school feeding can be channelled to rehabilitation of dilapidated public schools, provision of conducive atmosphere for learning as well as improving welfare of teachers, among others.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Shehu Usman, assured that all the hitches associated with the feeding programme will be addressed, stressing that the state government will not hesitate to punish any teacher, head master or staff official who tries to undermine the success of the programme. He urged the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and SBMBs to help monitor the programme, he noted that the state government will undertake biometric data capture for all food vendors under the programme to put a stop to replacement of vendors.
Dr. Usman also appealed to the teachers to ensure that the pupils remain in their classes to receive lessons after eating the food.
Malama Maryam Umar, a resident of Ungwan Kanawa, while taking her young daughter to school, told Daily Trust that her financial situation as a poor widow will certainly be assisted with the feeding programme, as she doesn’t have to worry about meal-times in school for Fatima, who strolled beside her, happily. “I can’t imagine any parent would frown at such a development,” she said.
Daily rust
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Though successive governments in Kaduna made efforts to make primary education compulsory for all children, the introduction of free feeding in addition to the free education and uniforms has brought about massive enrolment into government schools, so much that some parents withdrew their wards from private schools to public schools. Confirming this, Governor El-Rufai in one of his speeches said that there has been 64% increment in primary school enrolment from 1.1m last year to 1.8million due to the free basic education programme of the government.
Daily Trust visited schools, including L.E.A Barnawa 1, Trikania primary school, LEA Demonstration, Kawo and LEA Rijana along Kaduna-Abuja express way and observed that the food vendors arrive at 8:30am, and start serving from 9:00am to 10:00am when the children go on break. It was observed that the pupils are served yam and egg sauce on Mondays, rice and beans on Tuesdays, beans pottage on Wednesdays, Moi Moi and vegetable on Thursdays and biscuits with juice on Fridays.
A group of pupils eating, all expressed excitement at the innovation. One of them who said his name is Inusa, told Daily Trust that the food served in school is just as delicious as what he gets at home. “I’m not driven to distraction with thoughts of what to eat anymore,” he said.
A School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) is always on ground to check the quality of food to be served.
At LEA Demonstration, Kawo, a staff told our reporter that even before the introduction of free feeding, some pupils automatically disappear from school immediately after break time, but he noted that the school is taking stringent measures against such students by ensuring that the teachers watch their students.
However, the children express excitement talking about the food they are served, more than talking about academic work. In spite of the excitement that makes some pupils to demand for more, findings revealed that some don’t eat the meals, saying their parents asked them not to eat in school. “I have never tasted the food they serve us in school and anytime my teacher compels me to, I collect it and give to any of my colleagues willing to eat,” a student said.
Obviously, the programme has succeeded in making unwilling children go to school and has also succeeded in making unwilling parents avail their wards to acquire western education. As such, the programme has received much kudos. But, also, knocks.
To the underprivileged, it is a welcome development and an opportunity for their wards to go to school and at the same be fed at least once a day. But many argue that the over N300million spent weekly on school feeding can be channelled to rehabilitation of dilapidated public schools, provision of conducive atmosphere for learning as well as improving welfare of teachers, among others.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Shehu Usman, assured that all the hitches associated with the feeding programme will be addressed, stressing that the state government will not hesitate to punish any teacher, head master or staff official who tries to undermine the success of the programme. He urged the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and SBMBs to help monitor the programme, he noted that the state government will undertake biometric data capture for all food vendors under the programme to put a stop to replacement of vendors.
Dr. Usman also appealed to the teachers to ensure that the pupils remain in their classes to receive lessons after eating the food.
Malama Maryam Umar, a resident of Ungwan Kanawa, while taking her young daughter to school, told Daily Trust that her financial situation as a poor widow will certainly be assisted with the feeding programme, as she doesn’t have to worry about meal-times in school for Fatima, who strolled beside her, happily. “I can’t imagine any parent would frown at such a development,” she said.
Daily rust
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