More than one million children, mostly from poor homes, are to be affected by cuts in the Eastern Cape’s school-feeding scheme, the Herald Online reported on Tuesday.
It said the programme will be scaled down from five to three days a week because the education department does not have money to run the scheme every day.
Authorities allegedly saw the shortfall coming earlier in the year but made no contingency plans.
School snacks, which include peanut-butter sandwiches and biscuits, are often the only proper meal many children receive, the Herald reported.
Pupils in all participating schools will now receive food on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, instead of all five school days.
The department has defended the move.
”It [the scheme] is not being cut,” said Eldred Fray, acting director of specialised education services. ”It’s according to our business plan. That’s how we planned at the beginning of the financial year.”
Fray said the feeding scheme is supposed to be operational for three days a week. But at the beginning of the year the days were increased to five because of surplus funds.
”Now our plan says that, in the last quarter, the feeding scheme will be operating for three days. This will enable us to work within the budget,” he said.
The department had budgeted R194-million for the 2005/06 financial year. About one million children will be affected by the cut, Fray said.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) criticised the decision.
”The problems have gotten worse since the scheme was taken over from the department of health,” said Sadtu provincial secretary Mxolisi Dimaza.
This happened in January last year.
Dimaza said the move will affect school attendance.
”Some children will now come to school only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.” — Sapa