Other States - Rajasthan   

Mid-day meal helps better attendance

JAIPUR: Despite the complaints of gaps in delivery and shortfall in supply, the Mid-day Meal Scheme in Rajasthan has succeeded in improving nutritional status of school-going children and enhanced school attendance and enrolment, besides making significant changes in social values by inculcating respect and empathy among young students.

A new study on the impact of Mid-day Meal Scheme here has reported some erosion of caste prejudices and class inequalities with the children learning to sit together and share a common afternoon meal. The ambitious scheme, in this manner, has turned out to be an instrument of social change.

The study, conducted by Institute of Development Studies (IDS) coordinator Kalyan Singh Kothari, found that the scheme – presently in operation in 74,500 schools across the State – had also reduced child labour and enhanced female school attendance, thereby reducing gender gap in education.

Mr. Kothari said here on Sunday that the drive to provide free food at lunchtime in schools formed part of the State Government’s endeavour to meet one of the Millennium Development Goals for universal primary education. “The significant downturn in dropouts has proved that the scheme has been a resounding success,” he said.

The study, involving field visits to a number of primary schools in Jaipur and Alwar districts, was undertaken for Communication for Development and Learning, a Bangalore-based non-government organisation, with the support of German Agro Action and European Union.

An analysis of figures provided by the State Government revealed that between 2001 and 2003, enrolment in primary schools went up by 18 per cent, and the female enrolment increased by 29 per cent.The study quoted Mehtab Singh, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s Block Resource Centre coordinator at Behror, as saying that children from poor families belonging to Dalit and Muslim communities were immensely attracted to mid-day meals, as their parents felt that free food was a major advantage of sending children to schools.

With a budgetary provision of Rs.585 crore, the Midday Meal Scheme presently covers 76.65 lakh children studying in first to fifth standards in the State and is now being extended to cover students in the middle schools.

The public-private partnership introduced in the scheme has encouraged corporate sector, charitable trusts and non-government organisations to contribute to value addition and creation of infrastructure.

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