School feeding programme works in Chilubi

—–Teachers in Chilubi district have described the school feeding programme initiated by government in day schools as successful and bearing fruits.

Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) chairperson for Chilubi district, Teddy Simukanga, told ZANIS in the area that since the programme started three years ago pupils’ class attendance and academic performances have improved.

Mr Simukanga observed that in the past pupils were fond of absconding classes but that with the coming of the school feeding programme the trend has drastically reduced.

He observed that in most rural areas poverty is one of the major contributing factors to the poor performance of many pupils in schools.

Mr Simukanga added that this is because many children fail to go to school when they are hungry which results in their academic performance to be poor.

And a senior teacher at Chilamba Primary School, Brian Chisoma, said the initiative has made teachers’ work become easy as the programme is acting as a pull factor to pupils to go to school and attend lessons.

Meanwhile, Mr Chisoma has since urged government to continue with the programme if literacy levels are to be improved in rural areas.

The school feeding programme was initiated by government with support from United Nations (UN) under World Food Programme as a way of encouraging pupils in day schools, especially in areas where there is abject poverty, by cooking food for them each time they go to school.