Parents have been urged to ensure Federal Government gets value for the money spent on the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), by ensuring that their wards attend school and get the benefit of the NHGSFP.
Parents were also advised to contribute to monitoring of the programme in schools across the nation by ensuring vendors provide food as at when due.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Monitoring Lead of the feeding programme in Oyo State, Mr. Marcus Williams noted that leveraging on the deworming programme and good initiative of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affiars would boost performance and enhance the well-being of children when schools are in full swing as well as encourage enrollment of children in schools.
According to him, the deworming is done in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and Ministry of Health to provide deworming tablets for children in public schools.
He maintained that the programme is targeted at children in schools in order to support their feeding during school hours.
“Children grow well not only physically, but also, psychologically when you feed them well and deworm them.
“The feeding Programme will encourage the children to come to school and as well as boost their performance because they don’t need to worry about where the next meal is coming.
“The program has recorded increase in the uptake of educational services by children of primary school ages especially in public schools.
“This is because children benefitting share the news by word of mouth that they are sure of a meal per day.
“It also promotes punctuality because none of the children want to miss out on the food, it has helped children to stay in school (retention).
“State Governments should play their roles in the implementation of the program by taking up the responsibility for primary 4-6 and ensure the right vendors are engaged.”
