El-Rufai launches feeding for 1.8m pupils

THE NATION

POSTED BY ADEPOJU ADEYEMI

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai yesterday launched a free feeding programme for 1.8 million primary school pupils.

The programme, according to him, was the beginning of  the government’s project to expand access to education.

El-Rufai said at the Aliyu Makama Road Primary School, Barnawa, Kaduna, venue of the event, that the programme, to serve as an intervention in health, would also promote education and nutrition.

He said the initial problems associated with it would be addressed.

The governor noted that in executing the policy, perfection must not be a restraint, adding that during the process, the programme would be refined.

He said. “Every school day from yesterday, the Kaduna State government will provide a meal for 1.8 million primary school pupils.

“It is an unprecedented undertaking in this state, but one that we solemnly pledged to do when we were campaigning.

“It is a challenge in terms of its scale, cost and the logistics required to deliver the meals everyday. But our children deserve this, and more.

“We are conscious that it will save parents break-time money, empower women in the community, who have been selected as vendors and expand market for farm produce.

“In fact, the school-feeding programme will create 17,000 jobs for vendors, each of who will need to employ workers to deliver.

“There is something for everyone in the school-feeding programme. In seeking to take care of our children, we are creating jobs, boosting demand and exposing our people to new skills and hygiene standards as well as providing extra income.

“I urge everyone involved in the programme to discharge his responsibilities with the utmost sense of commitment, transparency and accountability. The monitoring mechanism must be rigorous, and we invite the school-based management committees and Parent-Teacher associations to review and provide us their observations on the programme.

“We will not be surprised to hear about teething problems, but we expect them to be addressed.

“As pragmatic people, we understand that in executing policies we must not let the perfect be a restraint on the do-able. It is in the process of feeding our pupils that we can refine and perfect the programme.

“As I noted earlier, school feeding is a separate plan of our initiative to expand access to education, ensure that children can have nine years of free, decent basic education, no matter the income level of their parents. Parents have responded with enthusiasm, and at the beginning of this session, enrolment in public schools rose by 64 per cent.

“We began our education programme with the recruitment of teachers for core subjects, conducted a needs-assessment to identify how we can strengthen the capacity of teachers and announced the removal of bureaucratic impediments to the career advancement and sense of fulfilment of teachers in the public school system. We made it clear that a teacher can rise to Grade Level 17, without having to stop being a teacher.

“Having taken steps to raise the morale and capacity of teachers as frontline workers in delivering quality education, the government began addressing the question of the physical condition of the theatre in which they work: the schools.

“We inherited a baleful legacy of dilapidated schools, inadequate classrooms and no furniture for 50 per cent of the pupils. The schools also lacked water and toilet facilities.

“The APC government in Kaduna State responded by launching a school rehabilitation programme. It is a massive commitment to fix more than 4,000 public primary schools and transform them into conducive places for the delivery of quality education. We will strive to complete the rehabilitation within our term of office.

“Permit me to express our gratitude to the House of Assembly for supporting our vision and passing the 2016 budget swiftly with such massive provision for education and the social sector.

“We are grateful to the Federal Government which has, through the Office of the Vice-President, provided technical support and has committed to reimburse the Kaduna State government up to 60 per cent of the cost of the school-feeding programme.

“There is still so much work ahead. I assure you that we shall never be lacking in the commitment, determination and courage to do as we promised. We will appreciate your feedback and suggestions so that we can do better in serving you, the people of Kaduna State.”