For Kaduna pupils, school-time is meal-time.Pupils of LEA Demonstration School, Kawo eating ‘Moi-Moi’ at lunch-time.
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.
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.
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