The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) dialogue (15/5) in Mangaung has highlighted the critical role that school feeding plays in supporting learners’ academic performance and wellbeing.
Held under the theme “Hungry to Learn: How nutrition shapes academic success in schools,” the session brought together stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and improve the delivery of nutrition programmes in schools across the district.
A presentation shared during the dialogue showed that 183 out of 263 schools in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality are currently participating in the NSNP.
The Free State department of education said the programme remains central to efforts to improve learner outcomes and reduce barriers to learning. The district aims to maintain its position as the top-performing district in the province and regain the number one spot nationally, with the NSNP identified as one of the key supporting programmes.
The programme is guided by the principle that “a hungry child cannot learn well,” emphasising that nutrition remains directly linked to classroom performance and concentration.
The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environmental Affairs, together with partner institutions, continues to support schools through initiatives such as drilling boreholes, providing vegetable seeds, and supplying gardening tools. The Glen Agricultural Institute of Training is also assisting schools by equipping them with skills for vegetable production through school gardens.
Stakeholders at the dialogue said children who are well nourished are more likely to succeed academically, reinforcing the importance of school nutrition as part of broader learner development.
One of the key recommendations from the session was that schools should establish and maintain vegetable gardens to supplement meals provided through the NSNP, helping to strengthen food security within schools.
The Motheo district director, December Moloi, thanked stakeholders for their ongoing support, saying the impact of the programme should be visible in schools. For him, changes in schools should start showing and that everyone involved in the programme from the district officials, voluntary food handlers, the persons handling the budget and procuring groceries for learners’ meals should work together in ensuring that the beneficiaries come first.
Compiled by Gypseenia Lion
