Makana Primary School has won third prize this year's National Schools Nutrition Programme competition. The Joza school was the first from the Eastern Cape to finish in the top three, beating schools from Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Makana Primary School has won third prize this year's National Schools Nutrition Programme competition. The Joza school was the first from the Eastern Cape to finish in the top three, beating schools from Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The programme is meant to serve 1.7 million pupils in the province.
Unfortunately, the schools nutrition programme in the Eastern Cape is plagued by misuse of funds and maladministration, says programme director Nosisa Siwend.
Siwend was speaking during the official prize-giving for winners of the best school nutrition programme in 2013/14, held at the Indoor Sport centre.
"There are schools that use the nutrition fund for other purposes," Siwendu said. "In our monthly reports, we also get news that teachers eat this food meant for learners. These are things that we need to rectify".
The programme is not just about feeding children, Siwendu explained.
"We are an education department, therefore we want to see that learners benefit from this prgramme through improved results".
Siwendu said that schools should not implement the programme outside of school terms or when learners are on tours.
Grahamstown District education department director Amos Festha admitted the nutrition programme is being abused. He promised that his office would identify the problems.
This year's National Schools Nutrition Programme competition was held in the North West province earlier this month.
Organised by the Provincial Department of Education, the ceremony was attended by all 23 district offices.
Also present were representatives of provincial runners up, Cofimvaba Senior Secondary School and McClear Primary School.
