By Daily Revelation Editor
The School Feeding Programme, which was officially launched by President Hakainde Hichilema is in itself a very good move.
The programme if well rolled out would answer to the struggles and nutritional needs, especially of the mostly underprivileged in society, who also happen to be in the majority, given the high poverty levels in the country.
Apart from responding to the nutritional needs of the students, the programme is also likely to lead towards improved performances and enrollment in schools, as the students will mainly focus on the core issues of why they attend school in the first place, which is to learn. It is also likely to lead into increased enrollment, especially with the free education policy in place, as students will be going to school guaranteed that they will be provided with at least something to eat.
But the same will also comes with its own challenges, if not opportunities that need to be addressed. The same feeding programme will demand an upscale in the budgetary allocation by the government towards the education sector. Meaning that resources will either have to be drawn away from other priority areas into the same school feeding programme across the whole country. If not that, it means that production will have to be scaled up to meet the schools nutritional demands. Whether that can be done, especially within a short time frame, is something that needs to be figured in as investment and harvest usually demand time.
But for those who can manage to upscale their production, it means that they will have a ready market for their produce, resulting in enhanced welfare at household and national level.
Within the schools themselves, most of them do not readily have the infrastructure in terms of the kitchens and other equipment. This is something that can pose both as a challenge, but also an opportunity for the government in terms of developing the infrastructure needed, and the recruitment of more personnel to handle this added responsibility that has been placed on the schools. Clearly, there is a critical lack of both right now.
The other issue is around the sanitation, especially during times of disease outbreaks. This is so because the majority of schools will be rolling out this programme without any prior experience whatsoever, save for the boarding schools.
Then this country is still grappling with massive levels of corruption. We have seen for instance the struggles which have limited the effectiveness of the other national programme, such as the enhanced CDF allocation, which has resulted in massive thefts and failure to account for the funds.
The school feeding programme will therefore need some very strict measures to be put in place to ensure the prudent use of the financial resources that will be made available for this undertaking, as well as accountability in terms of those who will be contracted with the supplies.
The School Feeding Programme is a good initiative. But a lot of work will need to be undertaken by especially the government, schools and the wider community to make it effective.
Related
By Daily Revelation Editor
The School Feeding Programme, which was officially launched by President Hakainde Hichilema is in itself a very good move.
The programme if well rolled out would answer to the struggles and nutritional needs, especially of the mostly underprivileged in society, who also happen to be in the majority, given the high poverty levels in the country.
Apart from responding to the nutritional needs of the students, the programme is also likely to lead towards improved performances and enrollment in schools, as the students will mainly focus on the core issues of why they attend school in the first place, which is to learn. It is also likely to lead into increased enrollment, especially with the free education policy in place, as students will be going to school guaranteed that they will be provided with at least something to eat.
But the same will also comes with its own challenges, if not opportunities that need to be addressed. The same feeding programme will demand an upscale in the budgetary allocation by the government towards the education sector. Meaning that resources will either have to be drawn away from other priority areas into the same school feeding programme across the whole country. If not that, it means that production will have to be scaled up to meet the schools nutritional demands. Whether that can be done, especially within a short time frame, is something that needs to be figured in as investment and harvest usually demand time.
But for those who can manage to upscale their production, it means that they will have a ready market for their produce, resulting in enhanced welfare at household and national level.
Within the schools themselves, most of them do not readily have the infrastructure in terms of the kitchens and other equipment. This is something that can pose both as a challenge, but also an opportunity for the government in terms of developing the infrastructure needed, and the recruitment of more personnel to handle this added responsibility that has been placed on the schools. Clearly, there is a critical lack of both right now.
The other issue is around the sanitation, especially during times of disease outbreaks. This is so because the majority of schools will be rolling out this programme without any prior experience whatsoever, save for the boarding schools.
Then this country is still grappling with massive levels of corruption. We have seen for instance the struggles which have limited the effectiveness of the other national programme, such as the enhanced CDF allocation, which has resulted in massive thefts and failure to account for the funds.
The school feeding programme will therefore need some very strict measures to be put in place to ensure the prudent use of the financial resources that will be made available for this undertaking, as well as accountability in terms of those who will be contracted with the supplies.
The School Feeding Programme is a good initiative. But a lot of work will need to be undertaken by especially the government, schools and the wider community to make it effective.
Related
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