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South African Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga is in Zimbabwe for a two day exchange programme on issues pertaining to education. Minister Motshekga and her counterpart Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora are expected to discuss several issues including, the new curriculum, assessment in education and the mooted teachers professional council.
Dr Dokora yesterday met Minister Motshekga and discussed several issues including the school feeding programme ahead of the major meeting today.
Minister Motshekga said the schools feeding programme was a noble initiative that ensured children had access to nutritious food and reduced stunting.
She said the programme should spread to the rest of the region.
“In South Africa we are feeding pupils from 24 000 public schools. We started the programme from Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupils and this was the vision of the late former president Nelson Mandela. The programme started soon after he became president,” she said.
She said pupils were fed fortified food and were constantly assessed for nutrition deficiency so that they could be given the correct food.
Minister Motshekga urged the Zimbabwean education sector to also embrace these feeding programmes, which would enhance health and nutrition education of the country and also increase the attendance rate of pupils.
She said in South Africa the feeding programme also promoted nutrition and health education and this created employment opportunities for many people.
“We also provide breakfast to pupils and this has improved punctuality to schools,” she said.
Dr Dokora concurred with his South African counterpart that the schools feeding programme should be universalised.
“The education sector has to bring these feeding schemes universally in Africa, which is going to raise the education sector standards high.
“We should bring these feeding schemes as a way of raising education system in Africa high universally and African Union Heads of State have already taken that up,” said Dr Dokora.
Minister Motshekga is today expected to visit Avondale Primary School, the Heroes Acre and Kuwadzana High School as part of the programme.
Government launched the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP).
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is spearheading the programme aimed at providing at least one balanced meal for pupils at primary level.
The African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government, at this year’s 26th summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, declared March 1, Africa Day of School Feeding, in recognition of the immense value of Home Grown School Feeding in enhancing retention and performance of children in schools.
The benefits of investing in school feeding is also linked to Sustainable Developmental Goal four, are that it provides a powerful institutional market and can produce impacts in the local supply chain and benefit communities.
Online Reporter