Staff Reporter
Learners on the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) should continue going to their respective schools to collect their daily rations during the month-long break, the Free State Department of Education has said.
Head of department Tsoarelo Malakoane said in a statement that schools will continue preparing meals throughout the school break which has been ordered to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“We will prepare meals for the learners even when schools are closed,” he said on Wednesday.
Malakoane urged parents to ensure their children collect their food so that it does not go to waste.
“We are deeply concerned that very few learners turn up and this creates fruitless expenditure,” he said.
“Hence I am appealing to parents to encourage learners to collect their food.”
Close to 600 000 learners drawn from quintile 1-3 schools and some special schools in the province are beneficiaries of the NSNP.
All public schools in the country are on a four-week break which is expected to end on August 24.
Grade 12 learners are however expected to resume classes on August 3, while Grade 7 learners will report for school a week later on August 10.
The phased reopening for other grades is expected to commence from August 24.