Students can opt out of midday meal: Education minister

Students can opt out of midday meal: Education minister
TNN 8 September 2009, 03:44am IST
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PANAJI: Education minister Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate said this week that students will now have the option to choose whether they want to be

served food under the midday meal scheme. The decision comes after last month's incidents when students in two Vasco-based schools complained of food poisoning after consuming midday meals.

Speaking to mediapersons, Monserrate said that the assistant district educational inspectors (ADEI) have been told to gather data from school headmasters with regard to the exact number of students who refuse to consume the food served. He said that the number of schools which do not accept the meal and those in which some students do not consume it will be noted and the quantity will be reduced accordingly in order to avoid wastage.

Monserrate said that feedback will also be taken from these schools and students over the quality of the food. The inputs will subsequently be used to improve food quality. "The midday meal scheme launched in schools will be strictly monitored by ADEIs and nutritional officers. The parent teacher associations of schools will also be taken into confidence while supplying food items to the students," said Monserrate.

He further said that it has been decided, in consultation with the chief minister, that crash courses will be conducted for the self help groups supplying midday meals under the guidance of the home science college.

Monserrate said that in addition to the checks carried out when the food is served in schools, the Directorate of Education has been now asked to carry out random inspections of places where the midday meal is cooked by self help groups. All these decisions will be implemented by November, he assured.

He further told reporters that a proposal is also under the consideration of the state government for the preparation of midday meals in the respective school premises itself. The decision to introduce midday meals for students of standards nine and ten in eight remote talukas was also taken recently by the minister.