The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, headed by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, has recommended that the Education Ministry introduce “at least a light breakfast” as part of the PM-POSHAN (midday meal) scheme in schools, and that the scheme be extended to cover all students up to Class 10, and then Class 12 in the next five years.
Under, a cooked meal is provided to government and aided school students up to Class 8.
“The Committee feels that sudden stoppage of nutritional meals to students after Class 8, when most of them reach adolescence, is like suddenly turning the tap off before the bucket is filled completely. Given that adolescence is a critical growth phase… proper nutrition during these years will go a long way in preventing a large number of long-term health issues, reduce drop outs particularly amongst girls…,” the committee noted in a report presented in Parliament on Wednesday.
Stating that there is a sustained need to integrate education with nutrition beyond Class 8, particularly since Class 10 and 12 students prepare for board exams which “demand higher focus and cognitive performance,” the committee has recommended that the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) of the Education Ministry should increase the scope and coverage of the scheme to all students up to Class 10, “and then take it to Class 12 in the next five years.”
Flagging concerns over “resource concentration in select schools,” the committee has also recommended that the DoSEL take a decision on extending benefits of the PM-SHRI schools scheme to “average government schools by suitably relaxing norms and reconsidering inclusion of KVs and JNVs.”
The committee has also recommended that the Samagra Shiksha funds approved and due to , Kerala and West Bengal be released.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports includes MPs Ghanshyam Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, Sambit Patra, D Purandeswari, Dean Kuriakose, and Varsha Gaikwad.
