No mid-day meals as officials, schools play the blame game

Though the government schools in the city have closed down for autumn break till September 14, the issue of serving midday meals to students who come to attend remedial coaching has taken a centre stage.

Though the government schools in the city have closed down for autumn break till September 14, the issue of serving midday meals to students who come to attend remedial coaching has taken a centre stage.

Under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, students from Class VI to Class VIII who are weak in studies are given two-hour training in various subjects in their schools everyday. While the schools have been ordered to serve midday meals even during the autumn break, some schools are shying away from doing any extra work. These schools allege that they have not received any instructions from DEO Elementary or the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan District Coordinator regarding serving meals in schools but SSA district coordinator denied this and said that verbal instructions were issued to all city schools.

A government school headmistress rued: 8220;I have to depute a teacher every day to serve midday meals to students as there are 95 students in my schools who come for remedial coaching. So holidays are full of stress.8221;

But children love to attend school courtesy the Midday Meal Scheme. Bachan Kaur, whose son studies in Class VII, said, 8220;We are poor and cannot afford sweet dish everyday. My son enjoys going to school as along with food, sweet dish is also served.8221;

But there are schools which are shying away from the idea of serving meals in schools. Requesting anonymity a government teacher said, 8220;Why should we serve a meal to a student who comes only for two hours in a day? Moreover, we did not receiveany orders from the higher authorities. We do not mark the attendance of these students. So there is no question of midday meal during holidays? Moreover, who is going to cook the meal?8221;

Amarjit Kaur, District Education Officer Elementary, Ludhiana, said, 8220;We gave verbal instructions to all the schools through telephones to serve midday meals to the students who come for remedial coaching. The students who come without breakfast and are too poor to afford it need a meal in the school. During the seven holidays, a teacher in a school is supposed to serve the meal under her supervision. The meals are prepared by cooks but teachers unnecessarily make an issue out of it. I will depute my staff tomorrow to get it rectified.8221;