Children in the state’s government or aided schools can look forward to a more nutritious meal at school soon. The primary and secondary education department has been thinking of introducing bananas or milk in the menu.
This move follows the recent submission of a report on students’ health, after an annual health check-up, under the Suvarna Arogya Chetana scheme. The report revealed that nearly 93,000 students in such schools are anaemic, and that at least 18,000 children suffer from vitamin A deficiency.
In fact, the check-up revealed that at least 10% of the schoolchildren were suffering from one or the other ailment, raising fears of the quality of mid-day meals being provided to them. The state primary and secondary education minister, Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri, taking note of the health condition of the students, has decidedto introduce a more nutritious mid-day diet for the children.
Principal secretary, state department of primary and secondary education, RG Nadadur said, “The minister discussed the issue of children’s health status, and it was felt that we need to supplement the rice and dal presently being served in the mid-day meal with either milk or bananas.”
The Central government too has agreed to increase the amount that it is currently contributing for each child’s mid-day meal from December 1, 2009. While the Centre currently gives Rs1.58 for each primary school child’s meal per day, the amount will be raised to Rs1.88 per child per meal. For secondary school students, the Centre currently pays Rs2.10, which will be raised to Rs2.81.
“It will not be difficult to revise the menu of the mid-day meal, as the Centre will be providing a larger allocation; the state government too will increase its share towards the meal,” said Nadadur.
“We have not yet decided whether banana or milk would be served to the children. I think it might be difficult for local bodies to purchase bananas, but milk might be more easily available. We are planning a chat with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to see if it will be possible for them to provide milk,” he added.
Nadadur added that a discussion about the nutrition levels in the mid-day meal was held six months ago, and Dr V Prakash, director of the Central Food Technological Research Centre, Mysore, had mentioned the need to heighten the nutritional value of the meals served to children in schools. “At that time, however, we did not have additional funding, so we were forced to drop the idea,” said Nadadur.A report on the quality of the mid-day meal in the state, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, was expected to be submitted by May 2009.
However, it is still awaited. “The minister however, has decided against waiting for that report for adding either milk or bananas to the mid-day menu. We are concerned by the status of the children’s health as revealed by the health report, and we cannot neglect it,” said Nadadur.
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