The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HUNGER should not prevent any child from attending school, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said as the government’s new free breakfast programme was launched on Monday.

“We recognise that a child who is suffering from hunger pangs will have great difficulty learning and focusing and we appreciate that the high cost of living that we are experiencing now, families are struggling and we don’t want children not to attend school because their parents are unable to feed them or give them breakfast,” he said in an interview with his communications team shared with the press yesterday.

Mr Davis and Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin served breakfast to Columbus Primary School students as the National School Breakfast Pilot Programme (NSBPP) was launched in four schools on Monday.

 “From the outset, the administration placed a high priority on transforming the education system,” the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.

 “In the aftermath of the pandemic, the nation confronted a significant education crisis, with nearly 7,000 students missing more than 50 per cent of the 2021-2022 school year. To address this crisis, initiatives like “Find Every Child” and “Renaissance Learning” were introduced, leading to a notable improvement in attendance rates, which now stand at an average of 94 per cent.

“The NSBPP is the latest of several measures being implemented to do better by our youth, aiming to ensure food security, enhance nutrition in students, maintain high attendance rates, and boost academic achievement.”

 The breakfast programme has been launched at Columbus Primary, Ridgeland Primary, Sandilands Primary and Albury Primary.

 The programme will reportedly be expanded to the Family Islands in the second phase, focusing on Cat Island, Abaco, Exuma and Grand Bahama.

 “In the final phase, the programme will be expanded across all primary schools nationwide,” the OPM said.

  “The benefits of this programme are overarching, impacting not only students but also parents and Bahamian cooks. Local vendors were engaged for this programme and underwent comprehensive training to ensure the highest standards of quality assurance for the meals served to our students. Vendors are provided with the necessary ingredients to prepare a balanced breakfast for the students every Monday, Thursday and Friday morning.”