PTAs, SMCs urged to provide dinning halls for schools

Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - Parent Teacher Associations, School Management Committees and other stakeholders have been urged to provide schools with dinning halls and canteens where school children can take their meals in moderate comfort under the School Feeding Programme (SFP).

The call was made in Accra on Saturday by the Chairman of the Odododiodioo constituency of the National Democratic Congress, Mr Daniel Nii Okai, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency. He noted that while the government through the School Feeding Programme was providing pupils with at least one hot balanced meal a day, there was the need for the provision of other facilities to make government's social intervention more meaningful. Mr. Okai, who is also a Member of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), described the programme as government's intervention to help alleviate poverty to ensure the well being of school children who are the future leaders of the country.

He also appealed to caterers engaged in the programme to prepare their meals with wholesome ingredients and in hygienic surroundings to protect the health of the pupils.

The AMA member noted that this was important since the slightest food contamination could affect the health of the large number of school children which could create a major community health problem. He asked them to use locally produced foodstuffs for their meals as a way of encouraging farmers who need sustainable ready markets for their produce adding that such patronage would scale up the demand for made in Ghana goods and services.

Mr. Okai asked them to see their selection to participate in the programme as a privilege to contribute to nation building, since there are other equally good caterers did not have the opportunity and warned that those who did not live up to expectation would be sanctioned. He called on the caterers to study the manual on the programme to avoid conflict and asked Teachers and other stakeholders to avoid the temptation of using school children in chores such as fetching water for cooking, the washing dishes and utensils which could affect their academic work and other school activities.

The Odododiodioo NDC Chairman stressed the link between a sound mind in a healthy body to promote effective teaching and learning and stated that a hot nutritious and balanced diet served at least once a day would help in the development of the child.

Mr. Okai advised parents to desist from using the SFP to deny their children nutritious and balanced diet at home since the programme was not meant to take over their responsibility to feed their children. He explained that the SFP, the programme to supply school children with uniforms and the Capitation Grant were social interventions designed to assist parents and guardians to take proper care of their children.

It is only meant to assist and encourage children to be enrolled, stay in school and to take their studies seriously to progress to the highest level within their capabilities, Mr Okai added. He asked the caterers to cooperate with the authorities to ensure the success of the programme which had now been decentralised with the participation of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders.