Midday Meal Scheme: India
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Budget | Cost per meal should be increased to at least Rs5 | Budget | Cost per meal should be increased to at least Rs5 | ||
| + | = Teachers should not be asked to supervise cooking of meals: HC= | ||
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| + | Teachers should not be asked to supervise cooking of meals: High Court | ||
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| + | PTI | Jul 25, 2013 | ||
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| + | [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Teachers-should-not-be-asked-to-supervise-cooking-of-meals-HC/articleshow/21335917.cms The Times of India] | ||
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| + | ALLAHABAD/PATNA: The duty of school teachers and principals is to teach students and not to supervise cooking of meals, the Allahabad high court has observed, close on the heels of Bihar midday meal tragedy. | ||
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| + | The observation by the court in Uttar Pradesh came even as three lakh primary school teachers across Bihar boycotted midday meal duties on the grounds they interfered with teaching work. | ||
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| + | "The duty of teachers and principals of schools is to teach the students and not to supervise the cooking of meals," a division bench comprising Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Vikram Nath observed yesterday amid questions whether teaching staff at government schools should be saddled with the implementation of the scheme. | ||
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| + | The court was hearing a PIL filed by Meerut-based UP Pradhanacharya Parishad. | ||
| + | === Government had asked principals, rather than NGOs, to supervise the cooking=== | ||
| + | The PIL had challenged an order of the district inspector of schools, dated June 19, whereby the earlier system of NGOs being entrusted with preparing midday meals was scrapped and principals were directed to get the food prepared in their respective schools under their personal supervision. | ||
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| + | The petitioners had contended that the new system would interfere with the duties of teachers in Meerut and pointed out that NGOs were taking care of midday meals in a number of neighbouring districts. | ||
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| + | Expressing surprise over the submission, the court said, "There must be uniformity across the state with regard to who shall be entrusted with a specific task like preparing midday meals". | ||
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| + | The court ordered that in Meerut, the previous system (of NGOs preparing midday meals) would continue until further orders. | ||
Revision as of 16:32, 25 July 2013
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Contents |
History
THE GROWING SCHEME
The Times of India 2013/07/18
Aug 15, 1995 | Union govt launches Midday Meal Scheme in 2,408 blocks as a dry rations scheme. Based on scheme running successfully in Tamil Nadu since 1960s. By 1997-98 introduced in all blocks
April 2002 | Cooked meals scheme extended to all Government-assisted primary schools, local body schools
Sept 2006 | Nutrition boost to scheme: Cooked meal with 450 calories, 12g protein to kids in primary classes (I-V)
April 2008 | Scheme expands to include all kids studying in schools and learning-centres like madrassas etc supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
By 2011-12, Over 2.4 million cooks/helpers mostly women engaged. Over 570,000 kitchens and stores in schools
2013: 10.7 crore children under scheme
Nutritional and hygienic servings have been major challenges in most states
Several scams busted where food-grain is pilfered, poor quality meals served
2012-13: Incidents when food poisoning took place
Midday Meal Scheme in Delhi
QUALITY ISSUES in Delhi
The Times of India 2013/07/19
Meal quality is average and portions are smaller than prescribed size
Many students (7-13%) are not served meals in a day
None of the surveyed schools have kitchen sheds
Potable water is scarce, especially for the 2nd shift boys’ schools
Children are not encouraged to wash their hands before and after meals
Usually, suppliers receive food grains 50 days after supplying meals
Most schools do not display menus or the midday meal logo
Cooks-cum-helpers do not meet government norms
Schools do not discuss the meal scheme with parents Most schools do not maintain a receipts register for meals
(*Findings of the 4th Half-Yearly Monitoring Institution Report (April-September 2012) for the city’s East and Northeast districts)
CONCERNS
Meals deficient in vital vitamins and micro-nutrients.
In 2012, the corporations found 83% meals nutritionally deficient
Service hygiene | Utensils and dining areas often unclean; 3 incidents of food poisoning in the past three years
Budget | Cost per meal should be increased to at least Rs5
Teachers should not be asked to supervise cooking of meals: HC
Teachers should not be asked to supervise cooking of meals: High Court
PTI | Jul 25, 2013
ALLAHABAD/PATNA: The duty of school teachers and principals is to teach students and not to supervise cooking of meals, the Allahabad high court has observed, close on the heels of Bihar midday meal tragedy.
The observation by the court in Uttar Pradesh came even as three lakh primary school teachers across Bihar boycotted midday meal duties on the grounds they interfered with teaching work.
"The duty of teachers and principals of schools is to teach the students and not to supervise the cooking of meals," a division bench comprising Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Vikram Nath observed yesterday amid questions whether teaching staff at government schools should be saddled with the implementation of the scheme.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Meerut-based UP Pradhanacharya Parishad.
Government had asked principals, rather than NGOs, to supervise the cooking
The PIL had challenged an order of the district inspector of schools, dated June 19, whereby the earlier system of NGOs being entrusted with preparing midday meals was scrapped and principals were directed to get the food prepared in their respective schools under their personal supervision.
The petitioners had contended that the new system would interfere with the duties of teachers in Meerut and pointed out that NGOs were taking care of midday meals in a number of neighbouring districts.
Expressing surprise over the submission, the court said, "There must be uniformity across the state with regard to who shall be entrusted with a specific task like preparing midday meals".
The court ordered that in Meerut, the previous system (of NGOs preparing midday meals) would continue until further orders.
