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Student’s over 450 enrolling at Anglican primary school at Tikobo No-2, in the Jomoro municipal have passionately appealed to the Government to consider adding them to the Ghana School Feeding beneficiary schools.
The students who spoke to New Day FM Journalist, _Kaakyire Kwasi Afari_ on Thursday August 5, lamented that most parent in the community doesn’t fund some of them to feed due to economic hardship in the community and it affects both enrollment and academic performance in the school.
“We are calling on the government to include our school onto the school feeding programme because some of our parents can’t provide money for schooling so some of us study on empty stomachs.”
They are also calling on the government to provide a befitting Kindergarten block and furniture for the School.
The Chief of Ehoaka Community Nana Baze Kpanyinli (II) who is also a teacher at the Anglican primary school bemoaned that, pupils keep leaving their schools to join others that are benefiting from the Ghana School Feeding Programme just to have free meals.
According to the chief, the little children normally depends on him for financial support for daily feeding which is gradually milking his purse.
He demanded from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, government appointees, the Jomoro Municipal Assembly and the Jomoro MP that their schools be included in the feeding programme or they will collapse.
The Assembly member for Tikobo No-2 electoral area, hon Augustine Marshall added that most of the pupils were from extremely poor homes and as a result had to come to school on empty stomachs.
According to him, they have made several petitions to the Jomoro municipal Chief Executive, hon Enerst Kofie and the Social Service Sub-committee at the Jomoro municipal assembly but they only receive assurances.
He commended one Mr Kenneth Afful, a resident at Tikobo No-2 who annually donate food items for the students as their only source of school feeding programme in the school.
Some volunteer caterers revealed during the school “OUR DAY” celebration sponsored by a resident, Mr Kenneth Afful that, the situation has affected the school because the Anglican primary school is non-beneficiary of the school feeding programme.
“most parents don’t give their wards any money for feeding and they don’t also cook for the children before they come to school. So therefore, when those hungry children see that in the other nearby schools they are enjoying free school feeding meals they quickly decide to join those schools” they told Kaakyire Kwasi Afari.
The students, according to the school caterers, only enjoy free meal ones in a blue moon.
Source: _Kaakyire Kwasi Afari_ New Day FM.
