School Feeding, National Coordinator pushes for 10am meal time across schools

The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Hajia Fati Forgor, has urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure that meals under the programme are served at 10:00 a.m. in all participating schools.

She said a uniform feeding schedule would strengthen monitoring and help ensure that pupils receive their meals at the appropriate time.

Hajia Fati Forgor made the call during a meeting with Directors of the Ghana Education Service, where officials discussed measures to improve the implementation, supervision and monitoring of the School Feeding Programme.

According to the National Coordinator, setting 10:00 a.m. as the standard feeding time would make it easier for education officials to track the programme and ensure that caterers comply with the required standards.

She explained that the initiative was established mainly to support vulnerable children, particularly pupils who may come to school without food from home.

She therefore stressed the need for the programme to remain focused on providing nutritious meals to children who depend on it during the school day.

The National Coordinator also raised concerns about caterers serving meals that are not included in the approved menu.

She specifically cited spaghetti and “oil rice”, insisting that such meals should not be provided to pupils under the programme.

She directed caterers to strictly follow the approved menu and ensure that children are served a variety of nutritious meals that meet the programme’s dietary requirements.

The concerns form part of broader efforts to improve the quality, consistency and nutritional value of meals provided under the School Feeding Programme.

The engagement with GES Directors is also intended to strengthen cooperation between the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat and education authorities in monitoring participating schools and caterers across the country.

The Secretariat believes stronger collaboration with the GES will improve compliance with feeding times and nutritional guidelines while helping officials identify and address challenges in the implementation of the programme.

Hajia Fati Forgor further emphasised that effective monitoring remains critical to achieving the programme’s objectives, including improving children’s nutrition, supporting school attendance and ensuring that vulnerable pupils receive at least one nutritious meal during the school day.

The Secretariat is therefore seeking greater consistency in feeding times and strict compliance with the approved menu as part of measures to improve the delivery and impact of the programme nationwide.

By: Paulina Armah/Radio1.