Mahadi Hasan Badhon, back from Gopalganj
The midday meal programme is going to change the overall education scenario as the initiative has proved to be fruitful in reducing dropout rate, and ensuring nutrition for the students. Getting positive output from providing midday meal on experimental basis at a number of primary schools of three upazilas of three bordering districts, authorities concerned are now integrating the scheme in Gopalganj district.
The government formally started providing hot meals to students of some 33 primary schools in Gopalganj on Tuesday. Officials concerned said the government has started school feeding programme for primary school students in a bid to ensure nutrition, eradicate hunger, increase attendance and reduce dropout from schools.
“To ensure minimum nutrition, meals will be prepared with fortified rice, vegetable oil, and locally-grown fresh vegetables or eggs so that students get enough protein and micronutrients,” they added. Guardians and students of Nilfa Boyra Government Primary school in Tungipara and Gimadanga Tungipara (GT) Model Government Primary School, expressed satisfaction over the government’s initiative of midday meal programme.
Class four student Sohel, Class three student Meem and Class five student Sabbir said that they are very happy to get cooked food from their school. Robiul, a class four student, said, Khichuri with fried egg is his favourite food, adding that he would not miss school if he gets it from school.
Nasima Akhter, a mother of class three student, said, “The hotchpotch (Khicuhri) will not only make the mothers tension-free about their children’s food and nutrition but also it will free us from the hassle of cooking in the morning.” State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, Md Zakir Hossain said at the inauguration ceremony of the midday meal programme, “The government has a plan to bring 2,166 primary schools in 16 upazilas under midday meal coverage marking the Mujib year-2020. Under school feeding policy, all primary schools will be brought under midday meal coverage in phases to enhance the quality of education alongside improving nutritional status of children.”
The state minister said, currently 28.75 lakh students under 104 upazilas have been brought under school feeding programme. Each student is being given fortified biscuits of 75 gram daily, he added. The midday meal programme includes high protein enriched biscuits and cooked food, which is being served every alternate day.
About the school feeding programme, Primary and Mass Education Secretary Md Akram-Al-Hossain told Bangladesh Post, “The most beneficial aspect of the midday meal is that the dropout from schools will be reduced. The programme was started on January 1 in the upazilas. We are implementing the programme on a pilot basis this year. It will be fully implemented in schools across the country next year.”
He also said, “Khichri (hotchpotch) with vegetables will be provided on three days and biscuits for another three days. Every child will get 533 kilocalories of nutrients every day, which is one-third of daily need. On the day, when Khichri with egg will be given, they will get 630 kilocalories. We want that no children have to go to class hungry.”
It is known that there are 83 primary schools in Tungipara upazila. Meanwhile, the programme was launched in 33 schools on Tuesday. It will start in other schools in the shortest possible time. Deputy Commissioner of Gopalganj, Shahida Sultana said, “Apart from children, the guardians will be benefited. They can sell their locally grown vegetables at the schools by which they will be financially benefited.”
Earlier, the government started giving cooked midday meals to primary school students in three upazilas including Bamna of Barguna, Islampur of Jamalpur and Lama of Bandarban district on an experimental basis. According to a survey conducted by the government in these upazilas, it was known that presence of students had increased by 11 percent in schools where cooked foods are being served and by 6 percent where biscuits are being given to the students.
About the cost of the project Additional Secretary (development) of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md Gias Uddin Ahmed said, “As many as 1.40 crore students of 66,000 government primary schools across the country will be provided with midday meals by 2023 and it will require Tk 2,835 crore per year for giving fortified biscuits to the students, Tk 5,560 crore for giving cooked foods for five days and biscuits for one day, and Tk 7,475 crore to give egg, banana and bread.”
The policy aims to ensure that children aged between 3 and 12 years and studying in primary and pre-primary schools get 30 percent of calories they need daily from school meals.