Midday meal increases regular attendance of students

-Prem Raule/RSS

Martadi, Dec 20, 2019 : The midday meal programme being operated at various community schools here has increased regular attendance of students in classrooms.

Some years ago, there were only 50-60 students at Kailash Primary School at Budhinanda municipality-10, Pandusain located in the east-northern belt. With the initiation of midday meal, the number of students coming to the school has doubled in number.

Ganesh Bahadur Singh, Principal, Kailash Primary School said the midday meal targeted to children from poor families and school dropout vulnerable in high hill and mountainous regions has somewhat addressed low attendance of students in lower classes.

He informed the midday meal programme has covered 1,613 students of 134 primary schools from grade 1-5. “The programme has been effective for children belonging to poor families”, he shared, adding, “It has helped students attend the classroom learning in a regular manner”.

Moreover, the parents are also increasingly interested in sending their kids to school following the operation of midday meal. The parents have expressed happiness over the operation of the programme providing nutrient rich meal to their kids.

Gokarna Devkota, guardian of a student, commented they are pretty much confident that their children are being fed at schools as most of the parents at home also do not get time for their engagement in farming.

According to the school administration, annually more than 200 students get enrolled in the school.

At least 34 students are regularly attending Himalbhakti Primary School at high-hill Himali rural municipality due to midday meal programme, said Prem Lama, member, school management committee. 

The meal management committees of the concerned schools have been providing midday meal to the students as per the community school midday meal operation work procedure-2016.

The programme is operational in different primary schools at seven out of nine local levels. As many as 1,613 students are being benefitted from the programme, informed Binod Thakur, area coordinator of Nutrient Food Programme Bajura.

In addition, Integrated Development Society Nepal has executed water and sanitation programme in the midday meal implemented schools. The programme includes clean-up and sanitation, toilet construction and maintenance, shared Prem Khanal, district programme coordinator.
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