Survey reveals Mizoram’s commendable performance in Midday Meal implementation

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

Lawngtlai (Mizoram), Feb 13: A survey conducted by the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development has found that Mizoram schools have showed great achievement through the mid day meal (MDM) programme. As per the survey, performance of MDM scheme in the state of Mizoram is highly appreciative in comparison to other tribal districts of Northeast India.

The survey done by ACTED under a project of “Improving access to information and delivery of public scheme in the backward districts of Northeast India” under the aegis of the European Union revealed that with the successful implementation of the scheme in the state the enrolment and attendance rates of students haw also increased tremendously in Primary Schools and the drop-out rate has been reduced to a great extent.

Moreover the contribution of mid-day meals to food security and child nutrition seems to be particularly crucial in tribal areas where hunger is endemic. The Cooked Mid Day Meal programme has been successful in addressing “classroom hunger” in the beneficiary schools across the entire state of Mizoram.

MDM have big effects on school participation, not just in terms of getting more children enrolled in the registers but also in terms of regular pupil attendance on a daily basis.

The scheme has brought a sharp increase in school enrolment and attendance rates across all the states and more importantly rrowing the gender gaps in school attendance rates.

The scheme has not only proved to be a strong motivating factor for the students but also to their parents. The scheme also supports health, nutrition, and education goals and consequently will have a multi-pronged impact on a tion’s overall social and economic development.

Apart from all these the school feeding programme helps to break the caste and class barriers and reduce the gender gap in school participation.

Mid Day Meal scheme also provides a useful source of employment for women, and helps liberate working women from the burden of cooking at home during the day.