Students eating lunch in a Venezuelan school. Photo: El Nacional/file photo.
Venezuela’s Education Minister Héctor Rodríguez announced that the School Food Program (PAE) will serve four million children during the new academic year, a significant increase from last year. During the 2023-24 school year, the program served one million children, according to a press release from the institution.
This Wednesday, September 25, during a meeting with school principals in the state of La Guaira, held at the Guaicamacuto National Bolivarian School, Rodríguez reported that this objective will be achieved in partnership with the Ministry of Food as part of the actions for improving educational quality.
Rodríguez explained that this increase will require a significant improvement in the program’s logistics capabilities. “It’s not just about preparing an arepa, it’s about moving tons of food, storing it, and processing it properly,” he noted.
“The main difficulty,” Rodríguez said, “lies in the handling of perishable foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which require specific conditions for their preservation, which is why the ministry is initially purchasing 2,000 freezers for schools.”
These actions are expected to contribute to diversifying school menus and ensuring more nutritious food for all students, he added.
A pedagogical tool
The minister remarked the importance of considering food not only as a basic need but as an essential educational tool and asked that this fact serve to teach children about the origin of food and about the importance of a balanced diet and sharing with others.
Maduro Administration to Improve Labor Conditions for Teachers
“If the teacher does not sit down to eat with the child, he or she cannot teach him or her how to eat or where that food comes from,” said Rodríguez, emphasizing that the social aspect of food is fundamental to childrens’ comprehensive education.
Alongside La Guaira Governor José Alejandro Terán, Minister Rodríguez also supervised refurbishing work of the Military Community Brigades (Bricomiles), as well as a day of social care aimed at educational personnel which began last Monday throughout Venezuela.
(Últimas Noticias) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
