Money at School Program enhances the quality of school meals in state schools

Food is an essential complement to student education, as it significantly contributes to improving student performance. With this in mind, the Money at School Paraense Program (Prodep), from the Pará State Department of Education (Seduc), in addition to promoting investments in pedagogical, technological and infrastructure materials, also enhances the provision of lunches in schools, through the “Food” subprogram.

The subprogram authorizes both the acquisition of foodstuffs and cooking gas, as well as providing for the acquisition and maintenance of equipment and furniture for the preparation, distribution and supply of school meals. “The Money at Schools Program in Pará is an initiative that aims to transform our schools. As a central body, it is very difficult to simultaneously serve all 898 schools in 144 municipalities, in addition to considering each of the units’ specificities. With Prodep, management and the school community gain more autonomy, speed and are able to resolve the most urgent needs on the fly, in addition to enhancing the teaching-learning process. The Food subprogram, in addition to Prodep’s other possibilities, is essential to meet all the schools’ demands in addition to the general transfer we make – which even received a historic increase of 416% last year. It’s more opportunity, investment and autonomy”, said Rossieli Soares, Secretary of State for Education of Pará.

In the year 2023, the General Euclydes de Figueiredo State School, in Parauapebas, received a transfer of R$148,765.37 from the Dinheiro na Escola Paraense Program, in addition to R$25,618.19 from the “Food” subprogram destined for the purchase of olive oil. soy, vinegar, paprika, pepper, onion, garlic, carrot, ready-made seasoning, saffron, salad vegetables, fruits, among others, in order to increase the nutritional quality of high school meals.

“In the financial investment plan, we made two purchases last year of fruits and vegetables for school meals, in accordance with what was planned, items to improve school meals. The implementation of this contribution was essential for feeding the unit. For this year, we plan part of the resource to be used now at the beginning of 2024, until the other resource enters the council’s account”, says Arão Silva, director of Escola General Euclydes de Figueiredo.

The Guilherme Gabriel State School, in Paragominas, received R$126,234.93 and another R$21,491.25 from the Food subprogram. According to the director, the investment contributes to the students’ learning process. “The school lunch subprogram represents an advance in Education in the State of Pará, this initiative has contributed significantly to leveraging the teaching and learning process of our students from Pará, enabling the enrichment of school meals, with the inclusion of fruits and vegetables, in addition to make it possible to purchase gas to ensure food preparation. Just gratitude to the government”, says Francisca Janice Silva, director.

In the Metropolitan Region of Belém, one of the schools that is already ready to receive funding from the subprogram in 2024 is Escola Estadual Santo Afonso. “The resources received come to add to the food we have already received, which since 2023 has become regular and proteins have started to arrive on the same day. So, today we are able to organize school meals with a weekly menu and parents now know what their children will eat at the unit. I say that the subprogram will make management much easier”, says Máximo Rogério Barros, director of Escola Estadual Santo Afonso.

“With the school organizing what we will have for lunch during the week, we students also organize ourselves. There is a day, for example, when they provide a very good soup, but what I like most is the porridge, it is one of the best there is. So, with these investments, the whole school benefits”, says Kaillany Moura, a 9th year elementary school student.

School Council – For schools to receive the resources sent by the State Department of Education, it is essential that the School Council is formally regularized, with its financial statements up to date.

In the “Food” subprogram, School Councils will be able to use resources to purchase the following items: seasonings, fruit and vegetables, soybean oil and similar items, prioritizing the purchase, whenever possible, of “in natura” items. Acquisition of cooking gas for the preparation of school meals and items for special diets, according to specific guidelines for each case.

School lunch – In addition to the various possibilities through the Dinheiro na Escola Paraense Program (Prodep), in 2023 Seduc carried out the largest increase in the value of school meals per student, reaching an increase of 416%. School meals are a fundamental pedagogical tool for the retention and development of students.

In Pará, the Pará State Department of Education (Seduc) works continuously to guarantee and reinforce the distribution and delivery of school meals throughout the state. For the 2024 school year, Seduc began an unprecedented model in Pará of centralized distribution for certain regions.

Deliveries are made from a warehouse, linked to the secretariat, which ensures better logistics in meeting the demands of each school unit. The initiative guarantees students access to nutritious, quality food during the school period, in a faster and safer way.

Source: PA Government