R50 Million Feeding Scheme Benefits Two Hundred Thousand Learners

More than 200,000 learners in 991 poor schools benefit from the Government's now renamed National School Nutrition Programme, at a cost of almost R50 million. So said Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore today in an interpellation during the Provincial Legislature sitting. The programme catered only for primary schools, but has since been restructured to include high schools.

WCED continues to battle with schools who do not want to accept learners.

MEC Dugmore revealed in reply to a question, that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) continues to receive queries from parents from time to time about schools who do not want to accept learners to their schools, either on the basis of finance, disciplinary or other reasons. Full details below.

Interpellation - Mr Z C Stali to ask Mr C M Dugmore, Minister of Education:

(a) What is the correct procedure to guide schools in relation to feeding schemes and (b) what happens when an allocation does not cover the entire school?

Answer:

The Minister of Education

1. (a) Madam Speaker, first of all, let me use this opportunity to update the Members and the House on the current status of the feeding scheme.

The school-feeding scheme was originally administered by the Department of Health, but since April 2004 it has become the responsibility of the Western Cape Education Department.

The feeding scheme was called the Primary School Nutrition Programme (PSNP) and, as the name indicate, catered only for primary school learners. But, as all of us are aware, when learners progress to high schools, they are confronted by the same conditions of poverty and hunger. Therefore we have taken a decision to rename it the National School Nutrition Programme, to accommodate both primary and high school learners in quintiles one and two.

The annual budget for the current financial year (2006/07) is R48,313 million, and will increase in the next financial year to R50,729 million. Currently 203,535 learners at 991 schools are benefiting from the programme.

Honourable Members, the National School Nutrition Programme presents us with some challenges. We have too few staff members to deal with monitoring at EMDCs. Many schools were not designed to have food preparation areas causing these schools to encounter difficulties with the storage of food products and equipment; and finding suitable areas where food can be prepared.

Theft of equipment, for example stoves, pots and other utensils, could become a threat to the continued supply of warm meals, as the Conditional Grant that we receive from National Government will not be able to sustain the costs of replacement of equipment.

We have already supplied 95 schools with good standard pre-fabricated mobile units with safety gates and mesh covers over the windows - many schools electrified these units. But my appeal to Members of this House, is to visit the schools in your constituency, and assist weak schools with putting in place additional safety measures, to ensure that no child go hungry because of theft of equipment.

All schools that have the structural means are currently preparing warm meals as part of their menu options.

Volunteers at more than 90% of targeted schools received training in food and gas safety. Kitchen equipment, including three burner gas stoves on frames, pots, etc., has been provided to all targeted schools.

With regards to the continuation of the programme, the bid tender process is currently at a stage where the bid committee needs to decide upon new Service Providers to become effective as from 1 April 2007 for a two-year period.

Schools who wish to apply to become part of the National School Nutrition Programme can do so by contacting coordinators at each Education Management and Development Centres (ie district office), who will provide them with the necessary assistance.

(b) Where there is a need to feed more learners than currently targeted in quintile one and two schools, the schools should contact and report the matter to the National School Nutrition Programme Coordinator at their local Education Management and Development Centre, whereupon more learners will be considered for feeding within budgetary constraints and in line with the targeting strategy of the programme.

Question 6 - Ms J Witbooi to ask Mr. C M Dugmore, Minister of Education:

(a) Whether he has received any queries of school governing bodies or individual parents in the Western Cape Province from principals who do not want to accept learners to their schools; if so, what were the reasons forwarded in this regard and (b) how does the department intend dealing with issues like these?

Answer:

The Minister of Education

6. (a) The WCED does receive queries, mostly from parents, from time to time about schools who do not want to accept learners to their schools.

The reasons generally forwarded are:

- the inability of parents to pay outstanding school fees;
- that schools refuse their children admission even though such a school is the nearest to their homes;
- that the refusal to enroll their children is because the school is full; and
- that the child seeking admission has a record of ill-discipline at their present or previous school

(b) With regard to the reasons cited above, the WCED generally deals with it as follows:

1. school principals are informed that by law the inability of parents to pay outstanding school fees is no reason to refuse a child admission to a school

2. often parents neglect to enroll their children timeously at a school, or first apply elsewhere at a school of their choice. If then not successful they cite the "nearest to their home" reason. In such cases district office officials will mediate with schools on their behalf, or indicate alternative schools where accommodation is available

3. the same reasons and mediation as indicated in (b)2 above is applied by departmental officials

4. district officials mediate on the behalf of parents pointing out that expulsion on the grounds of serious misconduct is the only reason why a child is precluded from attending a school, and that in all cases where a child is subject to compulsory education the WCED is compelled to find alternative accommodation at another school for such a child;

5. A parent also has the right to appeal to me should he/she feels that the refusal to admit his/her child was unfair [section 5(9) of the SA Schools Act, Act 84/1996]. This appeal is dealt with by my office according to a certain process, taking into account a range of issues e.g. time of application, locality of parent vs. school, capacity of school, class sizes and the Admission Policy of such a school.

For Enquiries:

Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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