As enrollment into public primary schools increases astronomically in Akwa Ibom, teachers and stakeholders in the state have attributed the sudden rise to the impact of the on-going Federal Government home grown feeding programme.
They commended the FG for introducing the capital intensive social investment programme in some of the primary schools in the state, noting that no amount of investment on educating the child would be too much.
In most of the schools visited by our correspondent in the state, where the Programme is fully implemented, the teachers expressed their appreciation to the President Buhari administration for introducing the Programme.
The programme has improved pupils’ enrollment
At St. Andrew Primary School, Idu Uruan, in Uruan Local Government Area, a female teacher, who preferred anonymity, said, “As a teacher in the government school, I am not allowed to talk to the press. However, the programme has improved pupils’ enrollment.
“Even with the state government’s free education scheme in all public primary schools across the state, we have not recorded this number of enrollment.”
At St. Joseph’s Primary School, Eniong Offot, Uyo Local Government Area, the teachers expressed the hope that if the Programme was sustained, it would reduce illiteracy in the country.
A teacher said, “Children now come to school daily because of free food, especially the indigent ones. Before now, some children attended school once or twice a week, but today, the story has changed.
“We have too many people who are hungry in this country; so children are happy that they are sure of a good meal in the school. They now see going to school as a priority.”
The President and General Secretary of Akwa Ibom Food Vendors Coalition, Mrs. Elate Effiong and Abasiama Isidore, respectively, said they had set up a task force, an internal mechanism, to ensure that food vendors implemented the Federal Government’s dietary roster as specified.
They lauded the FG for initiating the Programme, noting that children’s interest in education had been boosted and over 2,600 women now employed as
cooks.
The AKIFVEN officials disclosed that the programme suffered some setbacks a few months ago, when politicians in the state hijacked the scheme and imposed suppliers and coordinators on the food vendors, which had resulted in poor feeding of the pupils, thereby attracting a lot of criticisms and
protests.
To effectively monitor the food vendors in schools where the Programme have been implemented, the AKIFVEN leadership appealed to village heads, community leaders, head teachers and parents to assist in monitoring the feeding to enhance the intended objectives of the programme in the state.
