By Masauso Mkwayaya
President Hakainde Hichilema has directed the Ministries of Education as well as Agriculture and Livestock to collaborate and ensure the at School Feeding Programme is a success.
President Hichilema has further directed the respective ministries must ensure food for the 4-million learners is sourced locally.
The Head of State has given the directives in Lusaka at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School, where he went to witness the School Feeding Programme.
President Hichilema has explained that the three ministries should also engage the World Food Programme -WPF- on the proposal because they are a major partner.
He has noted that an urgent database must also be created to determine how many learners need to be fed, the type of food required, and the areas from which it should be sourced.
Meanwhile, President Hichilema says reforms in the education sector have started yielding results, including the highest Grade 12 pass-rate in the country’s history.
He has stated that the methodical reforms in the sector, such as the reintroduction of free education, are now aligning and producing measurable outcomes.
President Hichilema has added that this is why government is repositioning education from being merely a social service to a key economic sector.
And David Thole, a 17-year-old Grade-12 learner at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School, said the school feeding programme has enabled him to focus solely on his studies.
David, who is also the Deputy Head Boy, said the programme has helped improve attendance and academic performance among learners.
And Sibeso Mundia, an English and Civic Education teacher, who coordinates the feeding programme, said learner attendance has significantly improved as a result of the initiative.
