| – Investigations launchedEducation Minister, Priya Manickchand in response to the appalling discovery surrounding the school feeding programme at Kato Primary school in Region Eight condemned the use of children to facilitate the project.“We view this as a very serious and important matter to be addressed… We absolutely condemn the use of children to fetch firewood to use as energy to cook. At no time should children be asked to fetch firewood, water or engage in any programme related activity that could be deemed as exploitation of children.”Education Minister Priya Manickchand (centre) surrounded by other Ministry officials.The students at Kato were pictured carrying logs from beyond the far reaching Paramakatoi Mountains to the school,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, for the supply of hot meals at least thrice weekly under the hinterland school feeding programme.The Minister, in an attempt to clear the air on the issue, during a press briefing yesterday, however, deemed the situation at Kato as an “isolated incident.”While the feeding programme is being monitored on a monthly basis, Manickchand said that the situation was only brought to the attention of the Ministry following the Kaieteur News article under the heading “Hinterland primary students trek miles with logs for ‘hot meals.”She explained that the incident occurred while the Head Teacher of Kato Primary School, Karen Abrahams, was on five days leave. She added that the person who was left in charge completely disregarded the policy of the Community based programme.“This is completely against the regulations and rules governing the feedingSacks contain dried meat and fishprogramme. The funds provided to the school under the school feeding programme are meant for the payment for all food supplies, payment of a small stipend to the cooks preparing meals, payment for all fuels used in the preparation of meals, gas, kerosene, coals and firewood, purchase of detergents and all other cleaning agents used in the school kitchen and payment of all other expenditures associated with the provision of the daily meals including transportation.”Manickchand further said that the matter has been taken into serious account. The revelation has since sparked investigations into the School Feeding programmes at hinterland schools across the country.Kato Primary School, which is among several other hinterland schools benefiting from the school feeding programme receives on a monthly basis the sum of $474,059 to provide daily meals for children enrolled at the said school.The minister said that the hinterland residents would prefer the current means of cooking on firewood.She explained that based on a signed document from the community, prior to the commencement of this programme, “there are times when parents are asked toArea used at Kato Primary for cooking and meal distributioncontribute firewood for cooking“In order for a school to have been a part of the community-based school feeding programme it would have had to submit a proposal signed by key persons in the community, Village Chairman/Toshao, Head Teacher and Treasurer.“Secondly the school must have had a kitchen that met the standards of the Ministry of Health. No thatched roof, wooden or concrete floor, must have an entrance and an exit. Ensure that raw food is not mixed with cooked food and a source of potable water. The cooks were trained and certified as food handlers by the Ministry of Health.”$1.2B is being spent this year on the school feeding programme for more than 64,000 children.A team is expected to visit the area before Friday, June 14, 2013. |
