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JORDAN: Daily snacks tempt children back to school
Source: IRIN
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AMMAN, 9 December 2008 (IRIN) - A nutrition programme run by the UN agency for
Palestinian refugees (UNWRA) in camps across Jordan is encouraging more students to stay in school. Teachers had become accustomed to seeing children ditch classes, under pressure to help parents
at home or work to help the family finances. The midmorning snack provided by UNWRA throughout Jordan since the beginning of the school year has proved successful in tempting students to stay in
class, according to teachers and education officials. Each child receives either a banana or an apple and a biscuit. Teachers said many students spent the day without a proper meal, if any. "Ever since the initiative was implemented a few weeks ago, the desire of students to attend classes has increased. We rarely see absenteeism and excitement among many is apparent," said Aheda Saaid,
headmaster of Baqaa elementary school. "Students were very happy to receive this food support as our resources are small in the school and we cannot afford to offer such help," Saaid told IRIN. The programme, funded by the government, seeks not only to attract children back into school but also to improve their performance and teachers said they could already see a difference. "Children
pay more attention to classes as they have something to wait for, apart from homework and sports," she said. The school nutrition programme was launched in government schools by King Abdullah in
late 1999 in an attempt to provide children from impoverished backgrounds with food to help them perform better. With the economic situation in refugee camps deteriorating, the programme has been
extended to include 42,000 schoolchildren in Jordan's 13 camps. Teachers insist the supplement is not meant as a substitute to main meals, but a booster to help the child function during the six
hours of class a day. But many pupils say the snack is their only food during the day, with only one meal in the evening. Jordan is home to 1.9 million officially registered refugees, who
arrived after the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967. mbh/at/mw© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org
