ASP net AND SCHOOLS FOOD PROGRAMME IN SCHOOLS

Provision of education needs a healthy body and mind. Thousands and thousands of students in educational institutions especially in primary and secondary schools go without food during their school sessions. Due to hunger, learners face psychological and physiological problems and discomfort at school.

It is a matter of fact that learning and food go together. School feeding has positive effects in all aspects of schooling, i.e. enrolment, attendance and academic performance. Families of students attending secondary education in Tanzania differ economically, ranging from low income earners to well or medium income earners. Well set up food programmes may bring harmony among learners regardless of the economic status of their families. Well planned food programme favor both advantaged and disadvantaged learners as they share the same variety of meal.

Through Associated Schools Project Network, students are encouraged to implement projects that promote life skills for sustainable future. ASP-net member schools engage scholars in productive practices for sustainable education. This includes gardening at school for survival in the 21^st century.

When planning for the programmes, school administrators, teachers, parents, learners and other stakeholders should be clear on educational objectives. Much focus should be directed to the outcome and impact such as enrolment and attendance, improved learning performance, reduction of hunger, truancy, drop out, and distance to and from the school.

Rationale for food Programmes at school

School food programmes are very much needed and they show great importance in improving student’s energy, general health of mind and thinking capacity. Therefore the following were the key reasons for some of the ASP net Secondary Schools in Tanzania to introduce food programmes at their schools.

• Addressing some malnutrition problems that may result into health problems caused by deficiencies of iron and vitamin elements among learners. This programme establishes sustainable, secure and nutritious source of food that could not be met by some parents during the day.

• Food programmes improve concentration and achievement in academic performance. A hungry learner is always physiologically and psychologically uncomfortable; no peace of mind thus knowledge acquisition is affected.

• Effective food programmes allow learners to become more successful in their lives. Perfect and permanent knowledge acquired at school increases their positive ability to the income of their families and communities as a whole hence hunger and poverty eradication. Through sound food programmes multiplier effects for poverty eradication can be realized. A well educated young person can economically change the lives of a big number of family members. This is one of the key objectives of Secondary Education Development Programme (SEDP) (2004).

• Provision of food during school alleviates hunger before and during classes, this further helps to improve and increase attendance and reduce truancy which is common in day secondary schools in Tanzania.

            Production of Food Crops at school level

• Food programmes in Tanzanian schools are of various forms depending on the environment. In boarding schools food programme is supported by the Central Government while in day schools which are community based, the programme is supported by contributions from parents in their respective areas. However response is not very positive due to low income in the communities. Therefore the provision of food in day schools is not assured for all scholars and vary widely particularly in regard to provision and quality, as they always eat the same meals, no varieties. Students may have enough meals during harvest season between June and October, thereafter families start facing shortage of food which also affect their children at school.

• In addition to contribution from parents and stakeholders there are other interventions as an attempt to alleviate food shortages and reduce hunger among scholars in secondary schools. Fund rising is one of these programmes. However, this programme is neither reliable nor sustainable. Hence a need for introduction of school based food programmes.

• Tanzania formulated a policy of Education for Self- Reliance – (ESR) in early 1970s. The policy was designed to translate self reliance into practice for learners in schools to acquire knowledge, attitudes and skills that would make them more creative, innovative and independent thinkers. Through this policy, primary and secondary schools opened farming projects and shops that generated schools with income and some food crops such as maize, beans, cowpeas, etc. Some schools did both farming and animal keeping. The practice had stopped; but thanks to ASP net for reviving it.

   

ASP net school students posing for a photo in their maize garden                                                    

Concluding Remark:

Feeding students in secondary schools, especially in Tanzania is one of the most key and important incentive which increase students’ ability and power to focus and gain academic performance. This is mainly possible through ASP net activities. Hunger can be eliminated in schools, as students can feed themselves.  Hunger in schools violates basic needs thus against human rights. This is the time to act. We appeal for other ASP net schools in the world to engage themselves in several projects fundamental to their environment and society in general.