General News of Friday, 2 March 2018
Source: dailyguideafrica.com
2018-03-02
Kalbutabu R/C primary pupils abandoned school due to the lack of food
Pupils of Kalbutabu R/C Primary in the Tatale-Sanguli District in the Northern Region have abandoned school due to the lack of food.
According to a teacher of the school, Suhuyini M. Ebenezer, attendance has reduced due to the gradual collapse of the School Feeding Programme in the school.
He said an official complaint has been made to the district coordinators of the programme.
“Teaching and learning have been affected greatly in the school due to the unavailability of food for pupils in the school, the school is compelled to close at noon instead of the normal time owing to pupils not returning to the classroom after going home to eat.”
Mr Suhuyini M. Ebenezer revealed that the school’s caterers have not received foodstuffs for the past weeks, making it difficult for them to prepare food for the pupils which are affecting academic performance in the school.
He, therefore, appealed to the management of the School Feeding Programme in the district to come to their aid to boost enrolment.
Some of the pupils, who spoke to journalists, indicated that the food motivates them to stay in school.
They added that they mostly go to school on empty stomach without money to buy food.
A cross-section of the pupils revealed that they walk a mile and half to get to school and complained about the lack of food.
“We will have to walk a mile and half home to eat and come back to class but we can’t cover that distance every day. That will mean that we will have to close school when it’s time for lunch and that isn’t good for our future.’
The pupils hinted that they were only served food from Monday to Thursday.
The School Feeding Programme in the Northern Region is gradually collapsing due to the various challenges in the districts.
According to reports, the main problem has to do with the supply of foodstuffs to the caterers to cook for the schools.
Some have attributed the numerous challenges to the politicization of the programme.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the Northern Regional Coordinator of the School Feeding Programme Felicia Tetteh, she said the issues had not come to her attention and assured that she would investigate the matter thoroughly.
She disclosed that her outfit would do everything possible to enhance education.