High Court orders department to resume School Nutrition Programme, whether there is school or not

The judgement came as a victory to  Equal Education and two Limpopo school governing bodies who took the Department of Basic Education and eight Members of the Executive Counsil (MEC's) to court over the halting of feeding schemes.

The High Court in Pretoria has ordered the Department of Basic Education and Provincial Departments of Education to resume the NSNP for all nine million qualifying learners, including learners in grades that have not yet returned to school.

The judgement requires the Minister and the MECs to report within 10 days with a plan and programme “showing what steps have been taken, what further steps are needed and when they will be taken”, to provide at least one meal to all qualifying children.

In response, the Department of Basic Education referred to the speech by Minister Angie Motshekga on 5 July, in which she said the department has expanded the nutrition program.

"Now we have even expanded feeding to learners, who are not back in schools. Plans are in place to provide feeding to learners not yet in school using different options, including staggered feeding at school, cooked  food collected at school, food parcels collected at school, parcels collected at collection point other than schools," said Motshekga.

The Commission says it will also encourage the Department of Basic Education, Provincial Education Departments and schools to use the opportunity to provide learning materials at the same time as providing food.

 "A growing body of international and local research provides evidence of the devastating and long-term effects for young children not reading and writing for extended periods. The Commission will therefor focus on access to food and learning materials for learners at schools and for those waiting to return to schools.

“In doing so, the Commission shall seek expertise and guidance on these and other issues," reads the statement by the SAHRC.

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