National School Feeding Scheme

1
National School Feeding Scheme

• Report to the Portfolio Committee
• October 2002

2
Background to PSNP

• Presidential Lead Project since 1994
• Aims of PSNP
• To improve the learning capacity of children
• To alleviate the effects of poverty

3
Current status of PSNP

• Implemented by Health and Education, with Health
  as lead Department
• Components of Integrated Nutrition Programme
• School feeding
• Nutrition education
• Parasite control
• Micronutrient supplementation in schools

4
Cabinet decisions 23rd January 2002

• Improve implementation of PSNP
• Extension to Grade R learners in schools and
  registered ECD Centres
• Determine best location of school feeding
• Health, Education and Social Development to
  ensure proper functioning of PSNP

5
Further steps

• Evaluation of PSNP programme by Health
• Working group of Health, Education and Social
  Development considered decisions of Cabinet and
  evaluation, and prepared technical paper for
  Cabinet.

6
Cabinet decision 18th September 2002

• Inclusion of Grade R learners in targeted Primary
  schools
• Funding to be increased annually
• Continue co-operation to improve efficiency
• Transfer of School feeding component of the
  Integrated Nutrition Programme to Education by
  April 2004.

7
Inclusion of Grade R learners

• Develop criteria for targeting Primary schools in
  nodal areas
• Detailed information available on current Grade R
  learners ECD rollout to coincide with targeting
• Co-ordination with DoSD regarding feeding in
  registered ECD Community sites

8
Funding

• Agreed to increase annually
• Increase to be based on ongoing needs analysis
• Basic options for menus to be prepared and costed
• Part of budget for Integrated Nutrition Programme
  to be retained by Health for management of other
  three components

9
Improving efficiency

• Standardised menus
• Standardised time and number of days feeding
• Improved procurement procedures
• Improved targeted strategies
• Increased participation of community groups,
  especially womens groups

10
Transfer of programme to Education

• Conceptualisation and planning of new approach
• Human resources recruitment and development
• System capacity national, provincial, local and
  school levels
• Inter-Departmental collaboration
• Governing body involvement

11
New approaches?

• Build on successes of community feeding
  initiatives
• Build especially on community gardens
  co-operation of FAO secured
• Provide a hot meal, for up to 200 days a year
• Use governing bodies to manage programmes