The introduction of feeding Programmes in Primary schools by government has improved the number of pupils attending classes in Chilubi district of the Northern province.
Chilubi district Education Standards Officer (DESO) Mulenga Sendapu disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS in the district yesterday.
Ms. Sendapu explained that since the programme was introduced in the area the levels of absenteeism among pupils have drastically reduced.
She added a monitoring exercise conducted recently revealed that in the past the levels of absenteeism among the pupils were high but that with the introduction of the feeding programme the attendance in many schools has been consistently above average.
Ms. Sendapu also explained that last month the department received another 700×50 kilogram bags of white maize and 300×50 kg bags of yellow beans under the feeding programme.
The DESO further called on the Government to continue with the initiative if high illiteracy levels were to be reduced in the country.
Meanwhile, Ms. Sendapu commended parents in the area for ensuring that their school going children attended classes.
She observed that parents in the area were playing an important role by helping the education authorities cook the food for the pupils.
The Primary school feeding programme is a government initiative supported by the United Nations under the World Food Programme (WFP) aimed at reducing illiteracy levels more especially in rural areas where poverty has become a major hindrance to the number of people accessing primary education in the country.
