Education ministry forms committee for school feeding programme

News

Wed 01 Nov, 2017

Tags:

The ministry of Education and Sports has named a 25 member working group to spear head the school feeding sensitisation campaigns among parents and guardians countrywide.

Keep Reading

The group was unveiled at a national dialogue on the parent/guardian led school feeding campaign that took place in the conference hall in the President's office on Tuesday.

The dialogue was organised by the ministry and the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV).

The group which is chaired by Robinson Nsumba Lyazi, the commissioner Private Schools and Institutions, is comprised of officers from different government departments.

Aggrey Kibenge, the under secretary in the Education ministry, said they chose people from different sectors because resolving the issue of school feeding is not a one ministry job.

"School feeding is multi sectorial in nature and we have formed a committee to lead this initiative from various government ministries. This initiative will be led by government though parents also have a central role to play," he said.

According to Kibenge, the working group will focus its work on realistic methods of providing food for school children.

These include among others; home grown school feeding, promoting the consumption of fortified foods in schools and forming school feeding programs that promote healthy diets to stop malnutrition.

The minster for Education, Janet Museveni urged the group to focus on government aided schools in rural areas and not private schools, arguing that parents in private schools can afford to feed their children at school.

David Ssegendo, head teacher Buganda Road Primary School, applauded the establishment of the working group, saying it has been long overdue. He however, noted that the working group is bound to face a number of challenges in trying to sensitise parents on the importance of feeding children.

The members signed a declaration pledging their support to providing quality education in Uganda for all by championing school feeding initiatives.

The other members of the working group are: Dr. Kedrace Turyagenda, the Director Basic and Secondary Education; the Director Education Standards, Commissioner Teacher Instruction, Education and Training, Commissioner Basic Education, Commissioner Secondary Education, Commissioner Education, Planning and Policy Analysis, Commissioner Private Schools.

Members from other organs will include; Office of the prime minister, ministry of health, ministry of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, ministry of trade, industry and cooperatives, Ministry of Water and Environment and National Planning Authority.

Others are: World Food Programme, Food and Agricultural Organisation, United States Agency for International Development, Netherland Development Agency, Professional Society of Nutritionists and the heads of the nutrition departments at both Makerere University and Kyambogo University.