Free meal: JHS students will be given rice - Minister

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Mrs. Cynthia Mamle Morrison says the free hot meal per day for final-year Junior High School students would be managed under the School Feeding Programme.

Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM she said the menu would include Jollof, Waakye, Plain Rice, and Vegetable Stew, Kontomire Stew with an egg.

The Waakye she explained would be served twice a week.

She added that with the schools that have already charged feeding fees, the Ministry is working with them so they will provide snacks for the students.

She appealed to parents to support the efforts of the government in containing the virus.

President Akufo-Addo in his 15th national address on Sunday said he has instructed the Gender Minister to provide free one hot meal to final year students preparing for their BECE.

His directive he said was based on the fact that some of the students were going hungry because they had to comply with the safety protocols.

He said: “As a result of reports I have recently received that some final year JHS students were going hungry, in complying with COVID-19 protocols, I have just instructed the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection to begin preparations to ensure that, as from 24th August up to 18th September, all five hundred and eighty-four thousand (584,000) final year JHS students, and one hundred and forty-six thousand (146,000) staff, both in public and private schools, be given one hot meal a day. This is to ensure full observance of the COVID-19 safety protocols.”