Tabling the Provincial Education 2020/21 adjustment budget, acting MEC Makalo Mohale confirmed the province will continue providing the School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) during the July 27 to August 24 public schools' break as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night.

Following Ramaphosa's announcement that schools will take a four weeks break in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the province confirms that measures will be put in place to ensure that all schools are fully prepared for the return of learners and teachers.

Mohale says Schools Management Teams (SMT) have meanwhile been directed to ensure that the school feeding programme continues during the break under safe and orderly Covid-19 regulations.

"Due to the socio-economic challenges experienced in communities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have resolved with the concurrence of the national Basic Education Department to extend the provision of nutritious meals to all learners including those not yet back at school. We are hard at work to achieve this imperative of fighting poverty," he added.

OFM News previously reported that the decision to feed learners who have not yet returned to school came months after human right advocacy groups - Equal Education and Section 27- wrote to Motshekga requesting her to ensure that all beneficiaries are fed during the national lockdown periods. The groups said over nine million children were reliant on the NSNP and the department must roll out the programme to all learners to reduce widespread hunger in the country.

The human right advocacy groups in conjunction with several Limpopo School Governing Bodies went as far as to take the matter to court, with the outcome being in their favour.

Tabling the budget on behalf of Education MEC Tate Makgoe, who could not present it himself due to ill health, Mohale on Friday told members of the Free State Provincial Legislature that all essentials in compliance with Covid-19 regulations needed for the feeding scheme programme have been provided to schools to be utilised by Voluntary Food Handlers (VFHs) when preparing meals for the learners.

He clarified that "the nutrition programme budget for 2020/21 is R431 851 000. This enables us to reach over 696 674 learners. We have also appointed 3 446 Voluntary Food Handlers (VFHs) for 10 months and they would receive a stipend of R1 360 per person, per month with effect from 1 June 2020 to 31 March 2021".

OFM News