Pupils stop going to school as govt suspends school-feeding programme in Zamfara

Following the suspension of the free school feeding programme in Zamfara State, majority of students have reportedly stopped going to school to study.

Parents and guardians are lamenting over the development discribing it s discouraging.

It was gathered that since the state government suspended the free feeding in the schools, coupled with the security situation, the rate of students’ enrollment has drastically reduced.
Students of Government Girls’ Day Secondary school in Gusau, who spoke with newsmen, said they now come from their homes to the school with their prepared foods since the state government decided to suspend feeding in the schools.

They admitted that some students in the school had stopped coming to the school, pointing out that the stoppage may not be unconnected with the state government’s decision to suspend the students’ feeding.

A parents/guardians who identified himself as Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, said the State government established the State’s feeding agency to encourage the young ones to enroll massively in public schools, pointing out that with the suspension of the feedings, the aim of establishing the agency has been defeated.

According to him; “The same State government that initiated the feeding program is turning around to suspend the programme. The agency was established by the first executive Governor of the State, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima in the year 2000 to encourage pupils to be attending schools regularly.

“The programme has been there before the present administration came on board, so there is no reason reasonable enough to suspend the program which will seriously affect education in the State,” he said.

He went further to say that “the suspension will equally affect the suppliers of the food items to the schools economically as they will be jobless.

“We have been consulting stakeholders and educationists to help us persuade the State government to reconsider its decision in order to save the education sector.
Adamu explained that the students’ free feeding had contributed positively in attracting massive enrollments in public schools.
“The suspension has increased the number of out-of-school children in the state as many students are so reluctant to go back to their schools.” He concluded.