FOOD CRISIS: SOME HEAD TEACHERS RELEASE PUPILS EARLIER

MBABANE – Some head teachers have resorted to releasing pupils earlier than the usual time due to the ongoing food crisis in schools.

Many schools have made it known that they do not have food under the schools’ feeding scheme, known as Zondle. Most claimed they last received food supplies in the last academic year. Others schools claimed that they were now surviving on sour porridge. The head teachers in the schools, more especially in primary schools, complained that government had taken too long to deliver food to the schools. The head teachers said they reported the issue to the Ministry of Education and Training. Some of the head teachers said they submitted their enrolment in March, so as to give government an idea as to how much food they would need, but none had been delivered since. The head teachers said they were surviving on food from last year.

Busisiwe Msibi, Chibidze Primary School Head teacher, said they last had food for the pupils some weeks ago. She said in her school, there was only mealie-meal, which could not be eaten alone. She said even if they decided to cook sour porridge, it would require sugar. Msibi said the situation was dire, such that pupils were often ill as they came to school on empty stomachs. She said sometimes, as teachers, they had to provide food for some pupils who were taking medication. She said some pupils were from less privileged homes, such that they would come to school and tell her that they only had fermented mealie-meal drink (emahewu) at home.

Situation

Msibi said the situation would get worse if the proposed rationing of food in schools would be effected. She said already, the food they were receiving was not enough. Mkhondvo Primary School Head teacher Gladys Mkhonta said in her school, they last had food last Thursday. She said yesterday marked the second day without food. Mkhonta said this brought challenges to the pupils, more especially those who had no money to buy snacks around the school. She said currently, she had no idea as to where the next meal for the learners would come from. She said the only hope was government.

Mkhonta said they had not yet decided to release the pupils earlier than usual but it was inevitable should they notice that the pupils were not coping with the situation. She said they were looking up to government to deliver food to the school. Cyprian Simelane, Ngozi Primary School Head teacher said so far, the school was sustaining the pupils with sour porridge. He said the school only had mealie-meal but no beans, so it would not be possible to cook a full meal except the sour porridge. Simelane added that even for that sour porridge, the school sometimes asked the parents to provide sugar. Nsalitje Primary School Head teacher David Mkhweli said currently his school was left with only one bag of rice and beans. He said the situation was not looking good at all, because there was no certainty as to when government would provide food to the schools.

Muziwethu Simelane, Kwaluseni Primary School Head teacher, said in his school, they were also surviving on sour porridge. He said there were beans as well hence they opted for the sour porridge. He said sometimes he would urge parents to assist by giving the pupils some sugar to mitigate the situation. Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training Bhekithemba Gama, said they were advising the head teachers to liaise with their regional education officers (REO), who may assist them on how to mitigate the situation until government delivered food to their respective schools. He added that for the teachers to take such decisions as releasing pupils earlier, they would need to consult with the REOs or inspectors.

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