The Barbados School Meals Program (BSMP) was piloted in 1963 as a project which involved six primary schools. In 1976 the program was extended to include 35, 000 students distributed across 117 primary schools. The BSMP is widely regarded as being very successful and we believe has been case-studied by many countries across the region and further a field. Many outstanding sons of the soil owe their sustenance to the BSMP. Many still marvel at the extent to which the BSMP has been subsidized by successive governments – 10 cents per plate!
A feature of the BSMP was the variety in the menu. Although some students who were poor-great felt inclined to make other luncheon arrangements most pupils looked forward to seeing the white school meals vans entering the school yard before noon and the smell of the lunches floating across the school compound which caused the bellies to growl and mouths to salivate.
If BU understands the reports reaching us about the BSMP; the quality of the food has deteriorated significantly in recent years. We are not sure if the reason for the decline can be attributed to the lack of culinary skills of the new crop of cooks employed by the BSMP or the rising standard of living which has seen less children registering to receive school meals, perhaps a combination of the two. For example, one day last week children registered to receive school meals got a piece of chicken breast in a salt bread, PERIOD!
What concerns BU is the news that those children who prefer to avail themselves of school meals are being affected by corrupt workers in the system. While it has been known for years that the bags of school meal workers were usually filled with the spoils of the day, the corrupt ways of the school meal workers based at some of the schools should worry parents and taxpayers. In some instances it is known the meal workers serve themselves and others first before the children. It is not unusual for the children at the rear of the lunch queue to not get a full portion.
The other point to be made about the BSMP is the colossal wastage which the BSMP suffers because of its lack of coordination with the schools at end of term. For example, at the end of term most if not all of the primary schools plan end of term parties for the students. Parents are encouraged to fund the purchase of pizzas and other goodies to ensure a goodtime is had by all. Yes you guessed it, the school meals van comes a calling, business as usual, on the last day of term. Our information is the workers and others at most if not all of our schools make the trek home at term’s end with bags fully stuffed. Can you do the math to compute the wastage of public funds say over the last five years? Bear in mind we have a government managing the public purse in a recession. So where is the fiscal discipline?
What will it take?
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