456-469
MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME: A STUDY OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF DISTRICT JAMMU
Authors: Mohd Zubair Kales,
Number of views: 585
Four important areas are identified for achieving the goal of Education for all. These are
Access to Education, Enrolment of children, and Retention of the enrolled children As
well as in academic achievement. The Mid Day Meal scheme is an effort to achieve and
facilitate these objectives. Various schemes were implemented in the primary education
sector by the Government to reach the disadvantaged population. Access to primary
education was universalized through flagship programmes of Govt., like Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan, however, despite this; a few children are still deprived of Primary Education
due to inability of their parents to send them to schools because of their poor economical
status. For, these parents, sending their children to school means not only incurring
extra financial burden but also depriving them of some money which their children would
have earned otherwise by doing labour. That being the attitude of these economically
backward parents, one may, perhaps, to motivate the parents and children was to bring
their children to school by providing food and nutritional needs.
Apart from enhancing school attendance and child nutrition, mid-day meal has an
important social value and foster equality. Children learn to sit together and share a
common meal; one can expect some erosion of caste prejudices, class inequality and
reduce gender gap.
On November 28, 2001, the Supreme Court of India gave direction making it mandatory
to implement mid-day meal scheme in all states by providing every child in all
Government and Government assisted schools with a prepared meal containing at least
300 Kcal of energy and eight to 12 g of protein each day, for a minimum of 200 days
(Anon., 2006a and Anon., 2009). But as per the proceedings of budget 2008-09, the
nutritional norms prescribed under the scheme for primary school children (I-V
standard) is 450Kcal of energy and 12 g of protein and upper primary children (VI-VIII
standard) is 700 Kcal of energy and 20 g of protein per day (Anon., 2009).
The Government of Karnataka has initiated many programmes and policies towards
achieving Universalisation of Elementary Education. The concept being free supply of
text books and uniforms, awarding scholarships and supply of mid-day meal through
Akshara Dasoha programme for enhancing enrolment, retention and ensuring eight
years of quality education to each child (Anon., 2008).
Akshara Dasoha programme was first implemented during the year 2002-03 in Raichur,
Koppal, Gulbarga, Bidar, Bellary, Bijapur and Bagalkot which were the pioneering
seven north-eastern districts of Karnataka. All children studying in the Government
primary schools from class I to V standard were the beneficiaries. From July 1st 2003
the programme was extended to all other Government primary schools in the state.
Later in 2007-08 the scheme was further extended to high schools
Today
Yesterday
This week
This month
All days
