Burkina/Education: Improving pupil attendance through continuous canteen supply!
The link between hunger and students dropping out of class, or between hunger and school results, is quickly established by those involved, especially in rural areas. A view that raises the recurring question of how school canteens function. Testimonies from teachers and school managers in the interior of the country highlight the need to work to ensure a permanent supply of canteens, in order to prevent pupils from dropping out, and thus improve school results.
Every year, the government of Burkina Faso and its partners make considerable efforts in the field of education, particularly in terms of supplies, human resources, logistics and so on. For those involved in education, the importance and positive impact of this support is clear, both for pupils and parents.However, it is also vital to ensure that school canteens remain open on a permanent basis, so that the above-mentioned efforts do not fall short of the motivations behind them.
That's why local education officials never miss an opportunity to plead for the continuity of school canteens.
"It's true that the State supports the canteens, but it's not enough. That's why we're also asking our partners to help us in this direction, which will be a great help to us, because the State's support covers four months, whereas the school year lasts nine to ten months. So if we ensured that the canteens covered the school year, it would really help a lot of pupils," pleads this local education official in the far north.
"The lack of canteens has an impact on results, because some pupils are forced to leave classes to do odd jobs before coming back. Others are even forced to drop out of school, because if you don't have anything to eat, what are you going to do? If there's no school canteen, it goes without saying that even with the support of supplies, the child won't be able to follow the lessons, because as the saying goes, "an empty stomach has no ears". If our partners can support us, so that there really is a real canteen, that would be very good for all of us", confides this district manager.confides this basic education district manager, who is nonetheless pleased with the spirit of solidarity that prevails at primary level on this subject.
According to a report made by the state-owned daily, Sidwaya, on the subject, published in January 2024 and crowned in the "Prix Marie Soleil Frère" 2024 competition, Burkina devotes an annual envelope of 18.8 billion F CFA to the running of school canteens, and has done so since 2017.
"However, many children never receive their free meal at lunchtime, and others have to wait several months for it, often of poor quality. This is the case in Oubritenga (Ziniaré, in the Plateau-central region), Zoundwéogo (Manga, in the Centre-sud region) and Bam (Kongoussi, in the Centre-nord region).gion du Centre-nord)", notes the publication, which raises several factors in support of "these dysfunctions".
Indeed, the State's decision to transfer the management of school canteens to the communes does not, to date, seem to reflect the vision of effectiveness and efficiency that prevailed at the time of the decision. As a result, some of the links in the chain sometimes pass the buck and/or point to shortcomings in the texts governing the process.
The reality on the ground, however, calls for further reflection on this crucial subject, in order to find the best formula.This is a crucial issue for the formation of the nation's human capital, if thousands of children are not to be deprived of schooling.
At a time when the government is multiplying its initiatives, notably with the "Agro-sylvo-pastoral Offensive", the Integrated Support Program for School Food and Nutrition nutrition and many other efforts on the part of international partners, it is important to consider permanent mechanisms for systematically supplying school canteens.
Source: lefaso.net/
