Good Scheme Needs Good Execution

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme for middle-school students from Thiruvanmiyur.

The scheme will benefit about 15.30 lakh additional students in Classes VI to VIII studying in 15,454 government and government-aided schools, officials said.

The expansion of the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme, named in honour of former Chief Minister K Kamaraj, covers students from Classes VI to VIII. The objective is laudable — ensuring that children begin their school day with a nutritious meal and strengthening the link between nutrition, attendance and learning.

The government has allocated Rs 217.63 crore for the scheme in the current financial year. The menu includes nutritious staples such as upma, kichadi and pongal, with millet-based dishes served twice a week.

According to an official release, the scheme will be implemented by the Greater Chennai Corporation through integrated kitchens covering 447 government and aided schools.

The Directorate of Municipal Administration will implement the programme through integrated kitchens covering 2,150 government and aided schools in other corporations, municipalities and adjoining township areas. The Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Corporation will implement it in 12,857 government and aided schools in rural areas, townships and adjoining rural areas.

“The breakfast will be prepared and served by members of self-help groups in the respective schools. The scheme is being expanded to further strengthen the foundation of school education by integrating health, nutrition, school attendance and learning,” the release said.

So far, so good. But a government scheme is not judged by the grandeur of its launch or the quality of the announcement. It is judged by what actually reaches the child.

This is where the real challenge begins.

Several states across the country have introduced breakfast, mid-day meal and other nutrition programmes under different names. The menu is announced with considerable fanfare, but the gap between the stated objective and actual implementation most of the time varies.

There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, the headmaster must be firmly in charge of the school administration. He or she cannot be merely a ceremonial authority. The headmaster has to monitor attendance, discipline, teaching standards, food quality, and the overall functioning of the school.

Yet, in some states, there have been instances where school authorities have failed to properly monitor student attendance. When questioned, some have reportedly offered explanations such as parents preferring private schools because they believe the quality of education there is better.

That is hardly an acceptable excuse. If government schools are losing students to private schools, the answer should be to improve their academic standards and administration, not rationalise the decline. Government schools have the advantage of public funding and a social mandate. With proper leadership, accountability and a competitive spirit, they can improve their standing among parents.

Then comes the more difficult issue — political interference.

Local politicians, including village panchayat representatives and MLAs, can sometimes seek to influence the functioning of welfare schemes. Whenever political influence enters procurement, supply, or supervision, the quality of implementation can suffer.

Food schemes are particularly sensitive because there can be no compromise on quality, hygiene or quantity. A nutritious menu on paper is meaningless if the food served to children is inadequate, poorly prepared or inconsistent.

This is where the bureaucracy has to do its job without fear or favour. The Education Department and district administration must have a proper monitoring mechanism. District-level officials, including the District Collector, should ensure that the quality of food remains consistent and that complaints are promptly investigated.

The government is spending public money for a public purpose. Therefore, accountability cannot stop with the allocation of funds. It has to extend right up to the plate from which the child eats.

Welfare schemes often make for good political announcements. But their success lies in the last mile — in every school, every classroom and every meal.

Hence, the real test of Tamil Nadu’s expanded breakfast scheme will not be the launch ceremony or the number of beneficiaries announced. It will be whether every eligible child actually receives a nutritious breakfast, in the promised quantity and quality, every school day.

This would be a real test for the Vijay government to prove how different his administration is from the previous regimes.