In a surprising turn of events, a school in Kerala has decided to halt its mid-day meal program, raising concerns among students and parents. The headmaster, J.P. Anish, is grappling with a financial crisis, highlighting the failure of the state.
Starting this Thursday, students at Vidyadhiraja LPS in Karakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, will no longer receive mid-day meals, a move that has left the head teacher deeply concerned. Anish, in a heartfelt letter to educational authorities in Nedumangad, revealed his struggle to provide for the school’s 607 students.
He wrote, “Mid-day meals at my school will be stopped from Thursday. Sir, just because I’m the head teacher I have to live in fear of lenders,”.
Starting this Thursday, my school will no longer serve mid-day meals. As the head teacher, I'm afraid of loan lenders! 🍚🌾
Last month kerala Education Minister invited Muzaffarnagar Student (Slapping Case) to study in Kerala.
But This is the true story of government's double… pic.twitter.com/ug75vx9tgA
— महारथी-മഹാരഥി (@MahaRathii) September 7, 2023
The predicament began when Anish resorted to borrowing ₹2 lakh from a cooperative bank to procure vegetables and essential items required for the mid-day meals. This loan, carrying an 11.50% interest rate, placed a significant burden on the school’s finances.
To keep the mid-day meal program running in the past months (June, July, and August), Anish even dipped into his own salary, contributing ₹50,000 to cover the costs. It’s worth noting that the government typically allocates ₹8 per child per day for mid-day meals, specifically intended for students up to class 8.
However, despite the allocation, the school claims to have received no financial support for mid-day meals during the current academic year. Anish, in his letter, expressed his concern, pointing out that the mid-day meal program had never faced such disruptions before.
This situation has sparked a debate over the effectiveness of the state government’s policies, with some critics highlighting what they see as double standards.
Anish had filed a complaint with the Assistant Education Officer (AEO) along with the receipt of the loan. The central government provides 60% of the midday meal scheme, while the state government provides 40%. The education minister’s office claims that the central government took back the second installment of ₹132 crore in the financial year 2021-22, which the state had given on time to the schools. The state education minister’s office is in correspondence with the union education ministry, confirming that the funds were already spent by the state government.
The central government has put Kerala in a tight spot by refusing to allocate funds for the school’s mid-day meal scheme citing the amount spent the previous year. The Centre contends that the ₹209 crore spent in 2021-22 has not been recorded in the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), a centralised monitoring system under the Union Finance Ministry.
Protests By School Staff
Kerala’s teachers’ organisations are protesting against the government due to a severe fund crunch. Headteachers have not received ₹130 crore for the noon meal scheme for students for the past three months. The delay in Central funding is due to the state government’s failure to provide details of the total number of students benefiting from the scheme on time. Teachers’ organisations claim that schools will have to stop the mid-day meals scheme if the state does not disburse the arrears. Major demands include disbursal of the three-month arrears, revision of the eight-year-old rate for the scheme, and additional funds for the ‘nutritious food scheme’ of the state government. They have also asked the government to meet transport and cooking gas costs. The KPSTA plans to launch a three-day agitation in front of the state secretariat on September 13 and a one-day protest march to the education minister’s office on September 16.
This has not been a recent story – in 2021, as per this OnManorama report, teachers have been burning their pockets to keep ingredients ready for the mid-day meal scheme since the government had not increased funds for it then.
Critics argue that while the state is willing to welcome students from other regions, it struggles to provide a basic necessity like mid-day meals to its own students.
This situation has put a spotlight on what some perceive as the shortcomings of the Kerala Model and the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The suspension of mid-day meals at Vidyadhiraja LPS serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by schools and educators in Kerala.
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