Teacher unions in North-Western Province have commended President Hakainde Hichilema for launching an expanded School Feeding Programme targeting more than four million learners across the country.
The Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) and the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) note that the initiative will significantly improve learner performance and enhance the quality of education, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Four on quality education.
In an interview with the media in Solwezi, BETUZ Deputy Provincial Director, Beverly Kakunta, described the programme as a game changer that would help reduce absenteeism among learners.
“For some children, this expanded programme will serve as a motivating factor to attend school, thereby improving their academic performance in the long run,” he said.
Mr Kakunta also commended the government for other policies and interventions aimed at improving education standards.
He cited the recruitment of more than 40,000 teachers over the past four years and the introduction of the free education policy as notable achievements.
“The recruitment of over 40,000 teachers has played a crucial role in reducing the teacher-pupil ratio, while free education has increased enrolment to over two million learners countrywide,” he stated.
Meanwhile, ZNUT Provincial Director, Setty Maseka, said the expanded School Feeding Programme would bring numerous benefits, including improved nutrition among learners.
Mr Maseka noted that some pupils come from vulnerable homes where access to three meals a day is not guaranteed, and providing at least one meal at school would greatly support such children.
“As stakeholders, we recognise that many learners come from vulnerable families who cannot always provide three meals a day. The school feeding programme will therefore go a long way in supporting them,” he said.
He has also appealed to school administrators to compliment the effort by ensuring that school production units are revamped and sustained.
Mr Maseka further praised the government’s continued commitment to improving school infrastructure through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), noting that improved learning environments contribute to better educational outcomes.
“We have toured the province and can attest that the enhanced CDF allocation has come at the right time. It has facilitated the construction of new classroom blocks, including double-storey structures at Mushitala and Kikombe Schools here in Solwezi,” he said.
Oh I see. Teachers are feeding on pupils’ lunch