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School feeding prog on despite pandemic


Published : 07 Jun 2021 10:00 PM | Updated : 08 Jun 2021 01:09 AM

The government continues the school feeding programme for the primary school students despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The main aim of the programme is to increase student enrollment and attendance rate, prevent dropouts and meet the daily nutritional needs of impoverished students.

The programme is being funded by the government in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).  Elementary schoolchildren in the targeted schools had been distributed fortified biscuits six days a week until 2020, before the coronavirus started ravaging the world. All educational institutions of the country had to shut down to curb the transmission of the virus among the students.

The government and authorities concerned decided to ensure distant learning to the students of all spheres. Classes have been conducted at different platforms including TV and online. Moreover, weekly assignments of creative tasks are provided to the secondary students.

With the continuity of learning, the Eco Social Development Organisation (ESDO), with the financial aid of the government and WFP, has been meeting the daily nutrition need of the underprivileged school goers through implementation of the ‘School Feeding Programme’. 

ESDO, that used to distribute the allocated biscuits in the schools, now continues delivering those to the houses of the students despite the pandemic.

“We used to distribute the biscuits at a daily basis. Now that the schools are closed, we along with the respective school teachers gather a month’s biscuits and deliver those to the doorsteps of the children”, Al Amin, Field Monitor Officer of ESDO (Motijheel) told Bangladesh Post on Saturday (June 5).

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says good nutrition and education help children become ‘nutritionally literate’ and therefore, they can educate their families about the value of nutritious food.

The biscuits contain 300 kilocalories (about 15 percent of the daily calorie requirement) and a range of micronutrients, contributing about 75 per cent of vitamin A, Zinc, folate and iron. Under the government program, students aged between 3 and 12 years are provided the cookies that will meet at least 30 percent of their daily calorie requirements, and 50% of daily micronutrients requirements.

The programme started in 2010. The government brought 26.28 lakh school kids from 86 upazilas under the feeding initiative. Now, some 31.60 lakh children from 15,788 primary schools in 104 upazilas get the benefit.

The primary school teachers of respective regions are also extending their hands to help distribute the biscuits to their students. 

Shofekun Nesa, Headmistress of Pallabi Government Primary School told Bangladesh Post, “We contact the parents and provide address to the field level facilitators of the project. Sometimes our teachers join them to distribute and see the students.”

Aysha Israt, an Assistant Teacher of Sena Nibas Govt Primary School (Mirpur) told Bangladesh Post, “The pandemic may have disrupted the classes, but not ensuring the nutrition of our students. We keep contact with our students and take part in the biscuit distribution programme regularly. We make sure proper distribution of the biscuits.”

Moreover, the parents are satisfied, having served the snack even though their children are not school-bound for now. 

Sabina Begum, mother of Mim Akter Kona who is a student of class five in Sena Nibas Govt Primary School told Bangladesh Post, “Kids love to have the cookies. It is a nutritious meal with good taste. But, if banana and bread were provided, there would a variation in the meal.”

Recently, at the ECNEC meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to include milk, eggs besides biscuits. One of these food items can be served a day. The meal won’t be monotonous to the students as they will get eggs, milk and biscuits.

According to the officials, the ongoing project of the feeding programme started from July 2020 and will continue to June 2025. The government will bear the cost of the Tk19,280 crore for this project.

Schools, colleges and universities remained closed since March last year due to the risk of transmission of the deadly virus.