Free school meals in Pakistan - Save the nation

[Jungibaaz]

If anyone is willing to try this, I would be happy to donate whatever little I can.

+1

But it really ought to be the job of the government. I think making it means tested might be easier for government to implement, the budgets are tight and not much fiscal space is there. So it might be a lot easier to have free school meals be managed at the school level where parents may apply if they fit the level of income required and then the schools apply for free meals funding equivalent to the number of kids in their school that use the service. Given the current system in Pakistan, something like this might be first implemented on a provincial level.

There are definitely other ways but this is the model that exists in the UK and is easiest to implement.

 

[Arulmozhi Varman]

I appreciate the intent sir but do not see much utility. Sorry.

These things are more fruitful and beneficial where a large percentage of the kids do go to school. Here in our Pakistan, what is that percentage? The needy, the poor who will get real beneift from the free food, how many of them manage to send the kids to school anyway?

I am not saying it is useless, yes at least some people will be helped. Just saying that it wont be that effective or have that much of an impact if our school going kids percentage was in 80s or 90s

Theoretically wrong. This plan was unveiled first in the state of TN by Kamaraj and when he asked centre of assistance they probably told the same reason you told just now. But he went ahead with state funds and charities to create the first mid noon meal scheme. Enrollment skyrocketed. It was only in the late 80's, early 90's petition was filed in our courts why no such scheme was done in central central schools and started all over India. Its now standard across all states. As a result, literacy rate stands at around 75%. Its a slow process which has taken around 30 years or.more for India to get perfect with. Pakistan being of smaller population and landmass has even more shorter period of success with these projects.

 

[313ghazi]

It does? Well surely i cannot challenge the evidence plus this is not my field of work so i cannot be certain about anything. I have just always felt, and seen, the people who do not send their kids to school are not the ones who cannot afford fee or food expense. It is the ones who need the kids to go out and EARN the food for family. Sad but true!!

I wont mind to join you on this project, let me know whatever i need to do. It is surely a good thing. I was just saying that it may not be as beneficial as it sounds, but, i agree that something is better than nothing.

You're right, from my early research the results are mixed but you make a great point about working kids. What to do about them. Maybe that's a seperate project? I saw a documentary about an NGO in India who would teach them for free in the evenings, after they finished a days work.

 

[313ghazi]

+1

But it really ought to be the job of the government. I think making it means tested might be easier for government to implement, the budgets are tight and not much fiscal space is there. So it might be a lot easier to have free school meals be managed at the school level where parents may apply if they fit the level of income required and then the schools apply for free meals funding equivalent to the number of kids in their school that use the service. Given the current system in Pakistan, something like this might be first implemented on a provincial level.

There are definitely other ways but this is the model that exists in the UK and is easiest to implement.

I wonder if that create a class difference in school though - between those who can afford to eat and those who need the support. I get your point about budgets though, and to an extent, the class difference already exists, kids know who is poor and who is rich.

Also i think malnutrition is a major problem under 10 or 12, i can't remember. Maybe that should be the cut off for free meals and make the rest means tested after that?

@Arulmozhi Varman how does this work in India?

 

[Arulmozhi Varman]

I wonder if that create a class difference in school though - between those who can afford to eat and those who need the support. I get your point about budgets though, and to an extent, the class difference already exists, kids know who is poor and who is rich.

Also i think malnutrition is a major problem under 10 or 12, i can't remember. Maybe that should be the cut off for free meals and make the rest means tested after that?

@Arulmozhi Varman how does this work in India?

Its not an perfect system but a long history meant mistakes have been corrected upon decades. My father is one of the products of noon day meal scheme even though we had some amount of agricultural lands. In rural areas kids irrespective of status enrol in the mid day meal scheme cos in 50's to 80's so called every caste groups outside the urban areas were poor. So there was no kinda status issues back then. So now when adults who availed those schemes in the past has no issues enrolling the kids in current day schools in mid day meal scheme as they themselves were a product of the system.

In urban govt schools it's kinda optional. Some bring food from home, some use the mid day meal scheme. It took 3 decades to perfect the system. First each school should have a hygiene kitchen built. Local women folks should be recruited and trained. Have to ensure no corruption in food tenders and quality. No govt official could check quality wrt to rice or vegetables everyday. So a system has to be built. Wastage has to be avoided etc. Non vegetarian cannot be served cos it can cause adverse effects on kids if it's tainted than bad quality veggies. Again India always has some kinda vegetarians and it's not possible to have 2 kinds of food made in the same kitchen.

Issues have been there. Like parents objecting to cooks from particular caste (religion in case of Pakistan mightbe) kids have died due to lizard falling in when cooking or simply due to poor quality due to corruption. But with time passing these issues are being solved and system is/was continually evolved to solve them.

I thought Pakistan might have such an scheme already. This noon day meal scheme is a feather in India's cap. Has helped many people educate upwards. Now even breakfast scheme is getting to implemented. Lots of charity orgs have also jumped in and they are also doing all kinds of nutritional varieties of foods.

Another issue is kids needs variety of foods every day. If one gives same food everyday they won't eat. That is something India learnt over time as well. So different varieties with nutrition set by state govt or central govt boards.

Even with all this India still has kids with malnutrition cos many states haven't effectively implemented the system resulting in heavy corruption or simply not having infrastructure. Some states do the best, so bad, some even none. There is no uniformity. Community kitchen built were used during disasters relief too. So it has multi uses.

At the end of the day, Pakistan has to evolve an system best surrounding its social environment and situation. Its an long experiment. India had sincere leaders after independence who implemented it. I would not trust them today if they are starting something from scratch. Its best to start from rural and tribal.areas first.

 

[Arsalan]

You're right, from my early research the results are mixed but you make a great point about working kids. What to do about them. Maybe that's a seperate project? I saw a documentary about an NGO in India who would teach them for free in the evenings, after they finished a days work.

That is possible. BUT, Teaching is just the first step. After that you need to find some ways of earning for them. Again, if you have any such plans or project in mind, count me in. Have done a few things on my own but on a limited scale. If we can go for a bigger project, i am willing to devote my time and finances, as much as i can for this cause.

CANNOT LEAVE EVERYTHING TO THE GOVERNMENT.

 

[Awi]

Great idea, found an article from Dec 2018 and posting here to add more info and analysis.

https://nation.com.pk/31-Dec-2018/f...d school,run schools for compulsory education.

@313ghazi @Jungibaaz @Arsalan @waz

 

[Awi]

@313ghazi @Arsalan

I'd like to create a campaign for free school meals in Pakistan and would like your support. Many of you guys have political connections or know people who know people, or even have large social media followings. I want to use this thread to collate data, to present an arguement, find support and maybe think of a promotional strategy.

I don't want any credit for the idea, i don't care if anyone knows my name, but I think if we can get free school meals in Pakistan we can change the fate of our nation.

Benefits

1. We can reduce child malnutrition by providing healthy meals in schools to youngsters
2. We can increase the number of children attending schools as their parents will know they will get a free meal. This will also can ease the burden of lunch off of poorer families.
   
3. This will help keep poorer children in school for longer, again as the 1 meal a day will act as an incentive.
   
4. This will increase our literacy rate.

Apparently India manages this at a cost of $28 a year per child. That's pretty affordable if you ask me, especially considering we end up with healthier and more educated people.

We can start a Change.org petition requesting GOP to drop free/discounted meals from government employees, specially from provincial assemblies, senate, provincial and supreme courts etc (if in case there is a meal program in these places) and initiate a program to introduce Free and discounted meals in Government Schools.

Instead of just free meal, if discounted and free meal program is adopted, it will restrict any chance of discrimination as students who can afford will get a discounted meal and students who don't will get a free meal. Parents can apply for the program and enroll their kids, and only them and school management knows if kid is getting a free meal or discounted, kids other than those are the ones that will bring their own meals, so that will pretty much solve the discrimination issue.

We can also direct other PDF users to go on Pakistan Citizens Portal and request for free/discounted meal programs over there, may be we can provide a pre-formatted text to copy paste there, saving them efforts of thinking of a narrative thus increasing number of members to actually do that. Not that I think it will actually create vibrations in higher aiwans and things will somehow happen magically, but will at least start making noise in those higher corridors, and may put some thoughts in PMs mind.

 

[Arsalan]

@313ghazi @Arsalan


We can start a Change.org petition requesting GOP to drop free/discounted meals from government employees, specially from provincial assemblies, senate, provincial and supreme courts etc (if in case there is a meal program in these places) and initiate a program to introduce Free and discounted meals in Government Schools.

Instead of just free meal, if discounted and free meal program is adopted, it will restrict any chance of discrimination as students who can afford will get a discounted meal and students who don't will get a free meal. Parents can apply for the program and enroll their kids, and only them and school management knows if kid is getting a free meal or discounted, kids other than those are the ones that will bring their own meals, so that will pretty much solve the discrimination issue.

We can also direct other PDF users to go on Pakistan Citizens Portal and request for free/discounted meal programs over there, may be we can provide a pre-formatted text to copy paste there, saving them efforts of thinking of a narrative thus increasing number of members to actually do that. Not that I think it will actually create vibrations in higher aiwans and things will somehow happen magically, but will at least start making noise in those higher corridors, and may put some thoughts in PMs mind.

Workable. Should proceed with this.

My opinion is a bit different though but that is just my personal opinion. I always think that for these things, your need to set an example. Rather than requesting gov. i would suggest setting up a working model, even if on a small scale. Build on that and make it bigger gradually. Once there is something in place on the ground, it is easier to convince authorities and people.