Breakfast scheme helps increase attendance rate in Coimbatore, say teachers

COIMBATORE "My parents are daily wage workers. Sometimes, they must leave early and so would not be

"My parents are daily wage workers. Sometimes, they must leave early and so would not be able to prepare breakfast for me. But now, as the meal is served at the school, we (students) can come to school early and start the day nutritiously," said Dharani, a Class V student at the Corporation Elementary School in Siddhapudur here.

K. Jayalakshmi, the school headmistress, said, "Only students opting for noon meals are served breakfast. All 150 students in our school chose the scheme. Till August, our average class attendance did not cross 60-65%. But, it hit 90% since the scheme began."

The breakfast scheme for Classes I-V was flagged off in the district on September 16, in 74 schools — 62 under the corporation, nine in Mettupalayam, and three in Madukkarai.

Chandrapriya, noon meal officer of the district, said a 10-30% increase in attendance has been reported in all the schools where the scheme started.

An average of 69% of students in the district avail of the scheme, in many it is 100%, she said. Hot packs arrive at around 7.15 a.m. The School Management Committee members serve food from 8.15 a.m to 8.45 a.m. Even if the students arrive late — till 9 a.m. — schools still provide the meal. The wastage amount is very minimal so far, she added.

A Coimbatore-based NGO, ‘No Food Waste’, supplies food to 7,255 students in the city from the integrated kitchen at Kannampalayam, near Ondipudur.

All 1,119 children in nine Mettupalayam municipality schools opted for this service and Illam Thedi Kalvi volunteers and School Management Committee members serve the students and clean utensils, Commissioner R. Vinoth said.