President Hakainde Hichilema says the government is shifting education from a social to an economic sector in order to grow and sustain the country’s treasury income.
President Hichilema explained that this is being achieved through the promotion of inclusive education through strategies such as free education, construction of classrooms, and the school feeding programme, which is now benefitting about four million learners countrywide.
He noted that the programme is also providing a market for small scale farmers’ farm produce.
The President was speaking during the implementation of the School Feeding Programme at Kabulonga Boys Secondary school in Lusaka today.
“We have to grow the economy, so we can then extract resources to support these programmes. And no one should be left behind. Inequity is not acceptable,” the President stressed.
President Hichilema has since directed the Ministry of Education to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture in providing structured information on food consumed under the school feeding programme, in order to link farmer production with demand.
Earlier, President Hichilema, who also participated in serving lunch to learners at Kabulonga Boys Secondary school, observed that some pupils do not have proper plates.
He has, in his individual capacity, pledged to provide feeding utensils for learners at Kabulonga Boys Secondary school, to ensure equality among them.
The Head of State also reiterated his administration’s resolve to prioritise education, further revealing that the number of teachers recruited in the last four and half-years will be nearing 48,000 by the end of this year.
And speaking on behalf of cooperating partners, World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, Cissy Kabasuuga commended President Hichilema for his visionary leadership and commitment to investing in the welfare of children.
Ms Kabasuuga also praised the Zambian government, describing the country as a shining example in Africa for placing school feeding and free education at the heart of its national development agenda.
She noted the remarkable achievement of 2.6 million children returning to school following the introduction of the free education policy, stressing that education and nutrition are inseparable pillars of national progress.
She further extolled the government’s growing budget allocation towards the programme, saying it is a sign of strong national ownership and sustainability.
Ms Kabasuuga has since reaffirmed WFP’s commitment to supporting the government as it scales up the School Feeding Programme, to ensure the initiative remains sustainable in the drive toward achieving zero hunger among learners.
“I end by reiterating WFP’s commitment to supporting your government as it continues to scale up the Home-Grown School Meals Programme and working toward achieving Zero Hunger. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education, all partners, and stakeholders to ensure this programme remains strong, resilient, and sustainable,” Ms Kabasuuga assured.
And in a vote of thanks, Elijah Jere, a grade 12 learner at Kabulonga Boys Secondary school, thanked the government for the school feeding programme and other initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive education.
“Because of the School Feeding Programme, we no longer have to worry about missing classes in an event where there’s no food at home,” he stated.
