First lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni says government is committed to ensure that Ugandan school going children with the right partnerships and the help of God.
One of the factors responsible for school dropouts, low learner retention and poor academic performance due to lack of concentration in class, hunger among learners (and their teachers) has remained a thorny issue over the years.
The idea of a school feeding program came after it became difficult for a number of parents to pack food for their school going children.
Under the leadership of Janet Museveni as Minister of Education and Sports, the Yoweri Museveni government hopes to roll out a school feeding program where learners will be provided breakfast and lunch — or at least one of these two meals for the start.
The program is expected to start in the next financial year (FY 2025-2026) most likely in first term which begins in February 2026.
Government is expected to start with primary schools under the Universal Primary Education (UPE), a free education for all program.
JANET MUSEVENI: WHAT A SHAME PARENTS CAN’T FEED OWN CHILDREN: JANET MUSEVENI
“It is a shame that parents cannot feed their children. Birds in the air feed their young until they are adult enough to feed themselves; but a human being created in the image of God ignores to feed their children and sends them to school all day on an empty stomach.
“What shame is that? Fathers have money to drink; mothers can afford to do their hair and nails but have said they do not have money to pack for their children food.” — Janet Museveni, Education and Sports Minister, 2018.
Janet Museveni and officials from her Ministry of Education and Sports have held conversations with partners on “how to feed our children in school and keep them learning with dignity.”
The partners included the Rockefeller Foundation, World Food Program, and AGRA Africa.
The Education Minister and the partners discussed innovative ways of financing a school feeding program, among other issues.
“Uganda cannot do this alone. Our partners bring ideas, experience, and commitment. From innovative financing to lessons from Karamoja, we are encouraged by what is possible when we work together,” noted Janet Museveni after her conversation with partners.
“We are determined to make school feeding a national. With the right partnerships, planning, and God’s help, we will feed our children and strengthen their future.”
Elsewhere in Janet Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports, at least 5500 teachers have been shortlisted for aptitude tests for government payroll jobs in secondary seed schools in Buganda and Busoga, while over 300 teachers have been confirmed as headteachers and deputy headteachers of seed schools. (See their names Here and There).
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