President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Isaac Owusu, has called on government to enrol junior high school students on its feeding program.
According to him, the move will augur well for students especially those who cannot afford to purchase meals. He noted that a move to include the JHS students will generally improve their lives in their quest for education.
“… We are even thinking this feeding should be extended to the children at the JHS level because if you look at the children at the secondary school, even the day students are being given one hot meal in the afternoon… But if you go to the JHS, the children are not being fed. So, we are even thinking that the government will expedite action to make sure that those at the JHS are also brought on board, so that at least the children can get enough strength to go through their lessons.”
Isaac Owusu
Mr Owusu revealed that the introduction of the school feeding programme since 2005 at the basic schools, kindergarten and primary levels, has seen an increase in enrolment of children. He explained that despite the stellar record of the program, the ongoing strike by cooks under the program “is a bit worrying to us as partners to the educational delivery”.
“Now, what is happening is that most of the public schools, especially those in the rural setting, the children find it difficult getting food to eat. If you look at the distance some of them cover before getting access to their schools when it is break time and the child wants to go back to the house to get something, it will be very difficult for this child.”
Isaac Owusu
The School feeding program, Mr Owusu stated, is something that is “sustaining the children” throughout the time they spend in the school. He emphasized that when the caterers stop cooking, it affects the children and “when it affects them, it makes lesson delivery also difficult for the teachers”.
Condition of caterers under school feeding program
The GNAT President expressed that the strike action by the caterers of the school feeding program is likely to affect enrolment of student. As such, those in “authority should quickly do what is expected of them so that at least the children can go back”.
Prior to this, the Spokesperson for the Greater Accra regional branch of the School Feeding Caterers Association, Samuel Lartey, revealed that most of his members are in a bad state. He indicated that most of the caterers complain they can’t go and prepare anything because they don’t have what to eat and it has even caused the death of a caterer.
“A woman recorded the voice of one of her debtors. You can imagine the way this woman was insulting the caterer – the caterer was like she can’t do anything; she wants to even ‘eliminate’ herself. Majority are not preparing food because they don’t know where to go for the money.”
Samuel Lartey
Mr Lartey stated that a pledge by the School Feeding Secretariat to pay caterers in May this year is yet to materialise, forcing many to consider abrogating their contracts.
“From the way things are going, if they can’t sustain this thing, it will collapse because when it gets to a certain level, I am not sure they will continue.”
Samuel Lartey
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