THE expansion of the – feeding programme is expected to commence in the next academic year in keeping with the administration’s promise to introduce the programme in all the regions.
The administration is also looking to include a breakfast programme as part of the expansion of the school- feeding initiative. Come next academic year, Grades One to Three students from all 10 administrative regions in Guyana will be provided with breakfast on a daily basis, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Education Vincent Alexander said.

“So far the Ministry of Education is working assiduously to craft the expansion of the programme which will most likely commence in the next academic year,” said Alexander in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle.
Over the years, the school- feeding programme has benefited thousands of school children from both the coastland and hinterland by providing them with snacks on a daily basis.
Many residents in the hinterland regions are poor and cannot afford to send their children to school.
The programme has therefore proven to be an excellent initiative to motivate parents from hinterland communities to send their children to school.
Alexander told this publication that kitchens have been established to provide meals for these students. Government is now seeking to expand this programme to students on the coastland.
“There are some schools where snacks are provided by the government while some are being provided with meals by non-governmental organisations and volunteer groups,” said Alexander, pointing out that from an assessment, the administration has seen the need to expand the programme countrywide.
“What we are looking at now is the possibility of providing breakfast to schools which is the expansion that is currently being crafted at the ministry,” Alexander added.
The School Feeding Programme currently targets Grades One to Three students and Alexander said the Ministry of Education has seen the need to cater for more students in the primary school system.
In his recent budget presentation, Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine told the House that from information provided to the ministry, some students at a city school (name withheld) have been attending classes hungry.
For this reason, the new administration has vowed to enhance the school- feeding programme to cater for these students.
The money from the $10,000 education cash grant programme is being redirected to fund the expansion of the school – feeding programme, among other initiatives to enhance the lives of students.

By Shivanie Sugrim