{UAH} Gov't makes U-turn on school lunch

Gov't makes U-turn on school lunch

Written by Yudaya Nangonzi

 Last Updated: 03 August 2015

 

Primary school students getting served lunch of porridge

In 2008, President Museveni ordered that any head teacher charging parents extra fees for school lunch should be locked up in jail, for defying the spirit of Universal Primary Education (UPE).

Started in 1997, the UPE programme was set up with the expectation that parents would feed their children, while the state supported other programmes. For a long time, many parents failed to provide lunch to their children, which left the youngsters trying to study while starving.

However, the situation has since changed and some of the president's  aides have taken to locking up parents who report head teachers for ordering them to pay more for school lunch.

Some resident district commissioners (RDCs), for example, have in recent days been arresting parents for reminding them of the need to pay extra fees for school lunch. Their insistence is driven by a conviction by some parents that the UPE system exempts them from contributing any monies to the school administration.

Yet, in order to achieve quality education, school feeding remains an essential component. Today, a number of UPE schools are running private feeding programmes, largely paid for by parents. Even in the rural areas, where most cannot afford a decent meal, many have resorted to paying minimal costs charged by schools for a simple meal.

Such simple meals include maize or soya porridge, posho, and beans. According to Christine Atto, the head teacher Aywee PS in Omiya-anyima sub-county, Kitgum district, parents are still reluctant to provide food for their children.

"Our parents are very poor," Atto says. "They told us they cannot provide meals for children at home and even do the same at school."

Atto adds that many parents have continued to default on the Shs 5,000 charged as Parents Teachers Association (PTA) fee.

"We used to send children back home but we realised they never came back to school. I would find them on market days vending different merchandise."

Located 51km from the main Kitgum town, the school has a population of 210 children, most of whom are in lower primary. This, Atto, attributes to the increasing negative attitude of parents towards educating children, most especially the girl-child.

At Aywee PS, there is high enrolment of children from primary one to three but the number drops drastically in classes four, five, and six, due to hunger.

"Most children come to school at 8am on empty stomachs and leave school at 5pm without having lunch," Atto told The Observer. "I have no way of helping them [because] even some of my teachers spend the whole day without eating anything."

A few children go back home for lunch while others carry roasted cassava and potatoes in polythene bags. This leaves the biggest population to study without having a meal throughout the day.

A 2014 Out of School report by Unicef showed that for schools that provided breakfast and lunch, the enrolment more than doubled while those that did lost many children to other schools.

For instance, Bujja Muslim PS in Hoima that had such engagements saw most pupils from the neighbouring schools moved to it. Atto, however, has plans to see how the school can use part of the school's 25 acres garden to feed the children.

"We have already ploughed the gardens but nothing has been planted. Kitgum has been dry for the last two months. So, we are waiting for [the] rainy season to start planting some crops," says Atto.

FEEDING GUIDELINES

Despite Aywee PS' initiative, it is among the many schools that are yet to receive school feeding guidelines, recently designed and passed by the Education Ministry.
The 'feeding and nutrition intervention guidelines' were designed after several consultations with the ministries of Gender and Health, Unicef and nutritionists, among others.

The commissioner for Basic Education, Dr Daniel Nkaada, told The Observer last week that the guidelines were intended for use by school governing bodies and local authorities to improve child health, nutrition and educational performance.

"The official school time is 8am to 4:30pm. It is very unrealistic for a child to study all those hours without anything to eat yet they grasp new things in their minds every day," Dr Nkaada says.

He adds that even if a child was bright; they would never perform better without mid-day meals at schools. One of the ten guidelines signed by Education Minister Jessica Alupo is the establishment of the school food committee that is charged with managing the school's feeding.

"It shall be composed of members of the [school's] finance and development sub-committee. Each member can only serve for two terms," reads the guideline. "The quorum shall be three members present and in case of a tie in voting, the chairperson shall have a second, or casting vote."

In addition, the committee is required to provide accountability for food procured through monthly, termly and annual reports to the governing body and district councils. They further indicate that all food would be procured from the school catchment area wherever possible to minimize food spoilage and nutrient loss.

In order to ensure longer shelf life, schools are encouraged to use locally practiced preservation methods such as smoking, air and sun drying.

Schools that serve lunch, had their enrolment doubled compared to those that don't

Although schools have been directed to involve children in food production and agricultural activities, Dr Nkaada discourages the exploitation of children in these activities, and with due regard to international conventions relating to child labour.

"If it is class time, children should be in class not in the gardens. There should be a clear timetable for [garden activities]," he explains.

According to Dr Nkaada, the guidelines will soon be supplied to all UPE and Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET) schools to enhance their performance in the country. They will also be applied by day and boarding schools.

During last year's national primary leaving examinations, Aywee primary school registered poor performance. Out of the 20 candidates, the school attained no first division, eight in second division, seven in third division, four in fourth division, while one student was ungraded.

FOOD CONTRIBUTION

According to the guidelines, the amount of cash to be contributed each period shall be determined, in respect of each parent, by the school governing body but in agreement with the Education Act 2008.

Article 13, 2(c) of the Act indicates that "the responsibility of parents and guardians includes providing food, clothing, shelter, medical care and transport..."

However, no child may be excluded from class, or otherwise punished because of the parent's failure or refusal to contribute to school meals. Parents in rural areas may also contribute food staples (beans and maize) in kind if it is the preferred mode for a given school.

"But, some money would be required each term from such a parent to cover expenses incidental to food preparation," the guidelines emphasise.

In case of default, the guidelines allow the districts to pass ordinances and bye laws providing for suitable penalties to parents. Teachers and support staff would be entitled to eat food contributed in kind or cash.

For the case of urban schools, the school governing body in consultation with the local authorities will agree on the types and variety of food that shall be contributed by parents. Also in the guidelines are the sanitation and hygiene procedures, food safety, school kitchens, preparation and service to children.

Dr Nkaada explained that government would, if finances allow, provide fruits and other tree seedlings to all schools through Naads.

COMMENDED

In some schools where meals were provided to children, teachers told The Observer that they were ready to utilise the  guidelines. Betty Nantongo, a teacher at Kibanga PS, in Kalangala, says the school has been providing meals at school but the guidelines would help them in proper allocation of resources.

"We are feeding 80 per cent of the school's 620 children. Some parents provide packed food but we want to phase this out since most times, the food goes bad even before lunch time," Nantongo says.

At the school, children contribute between Shs 20,000 to 30,000 for lunch per term. For Kenneth Tusingwire, the head teacher Kihiihi PS in Kanungu district, the guidelines would be an eye-opener to parents who had remained adamant on providing meals to children.

"I'm sure the idea of accepting food in kind from parents will help children to at least eat something at school," Tusingwire says, adding that some children often feel too ashamed to carry sweet potatoes, beans and cold matooke packed by their parents to school.

At Kihiihi PS, parents contribute Shs 50,000 for meals each term while those who live near the school are allowed to go back home for lunch.

The Kanungu District Education Officer, Charles Sande, says the guidelines were a good idea but government should also provide some contribution through capitation grants for parents to top up.

"Whereas parents want their children to eat, they may not be able to feed their children daily. The little they can provide should get a boost from government," says Sande.

He adds that this should only apply to parents willing to work closely with the school administration.  Asked whether delays in disbursement of the grants would not disrupt the process, Sande explained that, "schools can purchase food stuffs using the little contributions from parents then clear the balance when the grants are sent." Kanungu has 134 UPE and 15 UPPET schools.

RDCS WARNED

Dr Nkaada is also unhappy about the conduct of resident district commissioners, urging them to sensitise parents on the benefits of feeding children at school instead of critising programmes set up by management committees to feed children. "Feeding children is a must and should not be debatable."

___________________________________

Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

"But this I know, UPC believed and still believes in

very high education. We can call Obote all bad names we have, but the bottom line remains that he got more scholarships for Buganda than all previous Uganda leaders combined. That includes Sir Edward Mutesa, President Lule, President Binayisa, up to and into Ssabasajja Mutebi. Who all happen to be Baganda leaders." Mulindwa

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.