In the 1940s the World Health Organization decided to implement a programme that would provide needy children with a meal of milk and biscuits in primary schools. The World Health Organization recognised that providing students with a meal will “motivate parents to enrol their children and have them attend school regularly. It will alleviate short term hunger in malnourished or otherwise well- nourished schoolchildren. This will help increase the attention and concentration of students producing gains in cognitive function and learning.” Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago saw the need to enhance and expand the milk and cookies programme. He wanted to provide a hot meal for every child in the primary school system. He saw the programme as a “necessary package of inputs for improving education.”
We chose this topic because it was interesting to note the changes that took place in the School Feeding Programme. Many of us remember the menu of milk and cookies, while others were too young to be exposed to the former menu. We wanted to investigate the reason for the implementation of the School Feeding Programme and the changes that took place from then until now. Despite the programme being a good initiative by the government then, it was plagued with many challenges. However, the government persisted and the programme is still in existence today.
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