School Feeding Programme makes a difference

Masum Billah Though school feeding programme (SFP) seems to be a new phenomenon in our educational context, it goes on in many countries with good impact around the globe. In our new education policy this idea has been ingrained. Of course, school feeding activities have been in vogue in some schools in limited areas run by non-government organisations. We hold many seminars and symposiums on education matters spending a large amount of money, but we hardly think about those children whose empty stomachs hardly allow them to come to school and remain in the class. Is it possible for the young learners to concentrate on what the teachers say in the class when their hungry stomachs cry for food? In many developing countries SFPs have recently received attention as a policy instrument for achieving the Millennium Development Goals of universal primary education and hunger reduction. A well-designed SFP may have broad impacts on attendance, performance, cognitive development, nutrition of pre-school children and prevalence of anemia in adolescent girls. The Philippines and Bhutan are two bright examples of successful countries where SFP goes on in fullswing and with good return. Malnutrition affects a significant number of Filipino children, making them susceptible to disease and infection. 'The 2003 National Nutrition Survey showed that 2.9 million primary school age children were underweight, while 3.41 million growth-stunted. The prevalence of anemia among children has also escalated in the last ten years, along with vitamin A deficiency. In 2003 Senator Edgardo J Angara launched SFP in public schools around the country especially among depressed communities. It is conducted on a 120-day cycle, where milk, eggs and noodles are distributed to school children from grade levels 1, 2 and 3. These children aged 7 - 9 are at their most important mental and physical development stage. To date, over 24,000 pupils form the National Capital Region (NCR) and provincial schools in Abra, Aurora, Benquet, Ilocos Norte and Kioolo have benefited from this SFP program. The programme saw great improvements in attendance, learning capabilities, academic performance, weight, height, overall nutritional status, as well as the reduction of drop-out rates among beneficiaries.' World Food Programme (WFP) supports the Royal Government of Bhutan in its policy of improving access to education by providing daily meals to school children particularly from poor and food insecure families in remote areas. This activity supports the nationwide trends of increased enrolment and attendance rates and reduced dropout rates. The provision for meals also improves the short term nutritional status of school going children and thus supports their concentration and cognitive capacities. In July 2002 the WFP and the Government of Bangladesh initiated SFP targeted to schools with chronically food insecure in rural areas and in urban slums in the capital, Dhaka. The programme was intended to distribute fortified biscuits to elementary school children in the targeted schools six days a week during the school year. The biscuits provide 300 kilocalories (about 15 per cent of daily calorie requirement) and a range of micronutrients, contributing about 75 per cent of vitamin A, zinc, folate and iron. The goals of the programme were to increase school enrolment and attendance, reduce school repetition and dropout rates, improve attention and learning capacity by reducing short term hunger and thereby improve school achievement. The poor families cannot afford enough food at home for their children and most schools in developing countries lack canteens or cafeterias. School meals are a good way to channel vital nourishment to poor children. Having meals at school must be a good attraction for the children. Again, having a full stomach also helps them to concentrate better on their lessons. In countries where school attendance is low, the purpose of at least one nutritional meal each day boosts enrolment and promotes regular attendance. Parents get motivated to send their children to schools instead of keeping them at home to work or care for siblings. The programme directly addresses the goals of reducing hunger by half, achieving universal primary education and of achieving gender parity in education -all by 2015. We have good news regarding SFP. Bangladesh has started this activity in Gimadanga Tungipara Model Government Primary school in September 2011. Bangladesh government and WFP will bear the expenditure of distributing protein enriched biscuits for 2.6 million students. Each student will be given 75 gram biscuit containing 75 per cent flour, 12 per cent sugar, 13 per cent vegetable oil, 6.0 per cent soy flower, iodine salt, baking soda, salt-irons, calcium and zinc. A child's 67 per cent protein will be covered by this biscuit. SFP will be launched primarily in poverty stricken areas. Tk 11.43 billion has been allocatedfor the purpose. The programme will continue till June 2014. The present programme will run in 86 upazillas covering government and non-government schools, community school and Ebtedai madaras with a number of objectives. The objectives are: ensure hundred per cent admission, increase attendance in the class, stop dropout, help complete the cycle of primary education, increase the quality of education, and fulfill the demand of protein of the students. The upazillas where this kind of programme was going on in limited scale earlier showed significant positive results. Quality education dissemination and health of the students have improved in these areas and students became attentive in the class. Teachers of these areas reported that a significant improvement in classroom behaviour, less disruptive behavior, better attention and motivation and less sleepiness among children were found. However, eight per cent teachers said that their workload had increased due to this program which is again a positive side. School management committee, philanthropists, educationists, affluent people of the society, and various commercial organisations can play a significant role in making this program a real success. But a well coordination is a must from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. It is an imperative of the time to introduce the same programme in the secondary level institutions as well. The government and the NGOs working in the field of education can share the responsibilities area wise. If it is done the case of duplication and wastage of resource can be minimised. The authorities concerned should take pragmatic initiatives to introduce SFP in the secondary level schools along with the primary schools. The students of secondary level have to remain in the classroom for long with empty stomach. Their growing age needs adequate food which many cannot afford. To make their classroom an attractive place school feeding activity along with fruitful and participatory works can play a vital role. The writer is Program Manager, BRAC and can be reached at email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com