Focused on improving the lives of students, the Education Ministry on Tuesday launched the Edu-Trition breakfast feeding programme at the Windsor Forest Primary School, making the meal available at several primary schools across Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
During a brief ceremony at the school located on the West Coast of Demerara, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said the rollout of the nutritious breakfast programme is part of the ministry’s efforts to continuously improve the level of education offered to children.
“We want to see your children doing better. We want to see your children shining. We know that you spend your whole life as parents trying to make sure you can give your children a better place in this world and you have given them less struggles, and have given them live a life of no wants and we as a government are here to support that,” the education minister said.
Regional Chairman Inshan Ayube and Opposition Member of Ganesh Manipaul were also in attendance.
The programme will provide children with a healthy breakfast every morning. An effort that will also ease the burden of parents.
Manickchand said that since the programme was introduced to schools in different regions, many persons have requested to have their children a part of it.
“We’ve said every school regardless of how your mommy voted, regardless of how you’ve done, regardless of what you look like, regardless of where you live, regardless of your class.
“…every child in every school in every community in Grade Six will receive breakfast because when we serve, we serve equitably and equally in the interest of all,” the minister said.
The programme coordinator, Mahendra Phagwah encouraged the children to use the breakfast to fuel their energy for studies.
Notably, the programme will provide 51 persons with employment. It consists of a five days menu which will change every term.
The parents of the children said this programme will assist them because now they don’t have to make breakfast every morning. They also said it will assist parents who cannot afford to make a meal for their children every day.
Since the launch of the programme last month, more than 10,000 pupils from 245 primary schools have benefited from programme. The programme has been launched in Region Ten and Region Two.
For this year, $267 million is being spent on the breakfast programme for Grade Six pupils in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10. Hinterland pupils are already provided with meals as part of the hinterland feeding programme.
