Rising poverty has driven more pupils in fee-paying schools to need meals, straining Gauteng’s Extended Nutrition Programme.
The rising socio-economic challenges facing Gauteng families have resulted in a growth in the number of pupils needing nutrition support in quintile 4 and 5 schools.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said this has placed significant pressure on provincial funding for the GDE Extended National School Nutrition Programme.
Payment delays affecting service providers
The department explained this on Monday, providing clarity regarding payment delays affecting service providers in the programme.
GDE said that it is essential to clarify the distinction between the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) and the GDE Extended NSNP to ensure a clear understanding of the situation.
The NSNP is a national initiative run by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) that provides daily meals to pupils in quintile 1 to 3 schools (no-fee-paying schools).
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“These schools cater to some of the most vulnerable learners in the country, and funding for this programme is provided through a national grant,” GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said.
“In Gauteng, as in the rest of South Africa, the NSNP continues to operate, and meals for learners in no-fee-paying schools remain uninterrupted.”
The NSNP does not cover quintiles 4 and 5, which are traditionally regarded as fee-paying schools.
Increasing number of children in fee-paying schools
The department said that because families were expected to pay for school fees and related support, these schools had historically not offered state-provided meals.
However, in recent years, Gauteng has experienced significant socio-economic changes. This has resulted in an increasing number of vulnerable children attending fee-paying schools.
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In response to this growth, the GDE established the provincially funded GDE Extended NSNP.
This programme guarantees that identified pupils in quintile 4 and 5 schools receive daily nutritious meals, especially those from underprivileged communities surrounding these schools.
“However, the rapid growth in the number of learners requiring nutrition support in quintile 4 and 5 schools has placed significant pressure on provincial funding of the GDE Extended NSNP,” Mabona explained.
Pressure on GDE Extended NSNP
“This increase is directly linked to the rising socio-economic vulnerabilities faced by families who were previously self-sufficient.”
In addition to these pressures, provincial departments are facing budget reductions, which creates a greater strain on the GDE Extended NSNP.
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Mabona said these challenges have resulted in delays in processing payments to some service providers operating under the extended programme.
“The department has engaged directly with affected service providers and committed to resolve accordingly,” he said.
Govt reviewing school quintile system
Meanwhile, nationally, the government is reviewing the school quintile system to make sure that funding allocations are better aligned with current socio-economic realities.
“This review seeks to introduce a more accurate and responsive categorisation of schools, recognising that the traditional distinction between fee-paying and no-fee-paying schools no longer fully reflects the financial circumstances of many families,” the department said.
