Dokora speaks on schools food

News
Lazarus Dokora has said his ministry would use the revived supplementary feeding scheme in primary schools to boost enrolment levels, attendance and completion of basic schooling.

PRIMARY and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora has said his ministry would use the revived supplementary feeding scheme in primary schools to boost enrolment levels, attendance and completion of basic schooling.

CHIEF REPORTER Dokora told the Senate last week that funding limitations remained a challenge as resources could not adequately cater for a total of 8 179 schools, of which 5 300 are primary schools.

The strategic objective was to facilitate the provision of school meals for every infant and junior school learner in Zimbabwe.

Responding to a question on plans to resuscitate the children’s supplementary feeding scheme in primary schools in Senate, Dokora said $1 860 000 allocated this year for the programme had still not been released.

“The School Supplementary Feeding Programme (SSFP) is part and parcel of the learners’ welfare mandate of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” he said.

“The SSFP is one of my ministry’s strategies for accelerating the achievement of Millennium Development Goal Number 2, seeking to achieve Universal Primary Education by 2015.

“The provision of meals at school is an effective strategy for boosting levels of school enrolment, attendance, retention and completion.

“The SSFP contributes to improved learning as well, especially the outcomes level and makes a significant impact on orphans and vulnerable children’s lives during the formative school years.”

According to Dokora, treasury has been allocating funding for the programme since 2009.

In 2009, $80 000 was allocated, $100 000 (2010), $1 000 000 (2011), $500 000 (2012), $500 000 (2013) and $1 860 000 this year.

“Notably, there was a significant increase from $100 000 in 2012 to $1 000 000 in 2011, followed by a 50% reduction in 2012 and 2013. The funding for 2013 was, however, not released.

“I must be quick to stress that while these figures may sound impressive, they have not been translated into usable currency by my ministry.

“In other words, in 2014, we do have $1 860 000 but to date, we have not received any credit towards this item in the budget.”

In 2013, it was reported that at least 3 000 children dropped out of school in Matabeleland South due to different reasons, among them hunger caused by persistent drought in the province.

Most dropouts joined gold panning groups to avoid grinding poverty.