Parents must give their children lunch
Mar 30, 2008
I was dismayed by comments attributed to the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Nandala Mafabi, that the Government should provide lunch for Universal Primary Exam (UPE) pupils.
Paul Aruho
I was dismayed by comments attributed to the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Nandala Mafabi, that the Government should provide lunch for Universal Primary Exam (UPE) pupils.
Mafabi reportedly said some parents cannot afford providing meals for their children. Why should anyone assume that a parent is not capable of providing lunch for his or her school-going child? In the past, men and the youth worked to provide for their homes, pay taxes and school fees for their children. Some of the recent policies promote a ‘handout mentality’ where the Government provides almost everything.
The introduction of UPE, Universal Secondary Education (USE) and the abolition of graduated tax is making the population lazy. Family heads now spend much of the day in trading centres playing cards and gambling and this exacerbates poverty. The old adage that instead of giving someone fish, teach him how to do fishing, comes in handy.
Family heads have ignored their responsibility to provide for their families. The father thinks that because his wife goes to the garden everyday, there is enough food for the children.
Fathers no longer pay taxes and school fees for their children. If someone else starts providing lunch for their children at school, what responsibility will the fathers have?
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports was reported as saying that pupils should always carry packed food to school. It reminded me of the past when we used to carry food happily and shared it with friends during the lunch break. This helped us to keep in school and attend afternoon lessons on filled stomachs. There was no argument on this requirement; it was a must to carry food.
President Yoweri Museveni was recently quoted in the press as saying he will manhandle any headteacher who charges extra money for lunch from students on UPE and USE programmes. Headteachers say it is difficult to teach a hungry student.
The Government should not spend sh40b on lunch for UPE pupils, as Mafabi wants, because there are more critical areas where this money is needed.
Parents should be sensitised that it is their obligation to provide lunch for their school-going children. The Government has done its work; let parents play their part.
The writer is a teacher and journalist
I was dismayed by comments attributed to the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Nandala Mafabi, that the Government should provide lunch for Universal Primary Exam (UPE) pupils.
Mafabi reportedly said some parents cannot afford providing meals for their children. Why should anyone assume that a parent is not capable of providing lunch for his or her school-going child? In the past, men and the youth worked to provide for their homes, pay taxes and school fees for their children. Some of the recent policies promote a ‘handout mentality’ where the Government provides almost everything.
The introduction of UPE, Universal Secondary Education (USE) and the abolition of graduated tax is making the population lazy. Family heads now spend much of the day in trading centres playing cards and gambling and this exacerbates poverty. The old adage that instead of giving someone fish, teach him how to do fishing, comes in handy.
Family heads have ignored their responsibility to provide for their families. The father thinks that because his wife goes to the garden everyday, there is enough food for the children.
Fathers no longer pay taxes and school fees for their children. If someone else starts providing lunch for their children at school, what responsibility will the fathers have?
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports was reported as saying that pupils should always carry packed food to school. It reminded me of the past when we used to carry food happily and shared it with friends during the lunch break. This helped us to keep in school and attend afternoon lessons on filled stomachs. There was no argument on this requirement; it was a must to carry food.
President Yoweri Museveni was recently quoted in the press as saying he will manhandle any headteacher who charges extra money for lunch from students on UPE and USE programmes. Headteachers say it is difficult to teach a hungry student.
The Government should not spend sh40b on lunch for UPE pupils, as Mafabi wants, because there are more critical areas where this money is needed.
Parents should be sensitised that it is their obligation to provide lunch for their school-going children. The Government has done its work; let parents play their part.
The writer is a teacher and journalist