Gov't to Introduce Breakfast Programme in Schools

Sunday, April 07, 2013GOVERNMENT will be introducing a breakfast programme in the new legislative year, as part of measures to improve student nutrition.The initiative will be piloted in 150 schools in Kingston and St Andrew, with some 115,000 students to benefit.It is being undertaken by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.The breakfast programme is among measures being undertaken in the areas of education, health, water, and climate change, which were announced by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen while delivering the Throne Speech in Gordon House on Thursday to mark the start of the new Parliamentary year.He said there will be an expansion of the Jamaica Education Television and DC Digital services to over 600 schools.Through the service, educational content will be broadcast from master teachers to the institutions. Some 60 schools are now benefitting."The programme will start with literacy and numeracy and will be extended to other subject areas," the governor general said.On the matter of health, the governor general said the Government health card will be introduced, while work will be significantly advanced toward the establishment of four centres of excellence, one in each regional health authority, to support the delivery of primary health care.Click here to read more