The Department of EducationSA国际影视传媒檚 failure to put territory-wide school breakfast and lunch programs in place has raised the ire of MLAs John Main, Cathy Towtongie and Adam Lightstone.
photo courtesy of the Government of Nunavut
SA国际影视传媒淲hen we talk about hunger and hungry children, there are many children who are in that situation,SA国际影视传媒� Main, MLA for Arviat North-Whale Cove, said Tuesday. SA国际影视传媒淚 havenSA国际影视传媒檛 quite grasped why this hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been prioritized to date. I am disappointed in this lack of effort and also quite unhappy with that.SA国际影视传媒�
Education Minister David Joanasie replied that district education authorities can access breakfast program funding through the Department of Health. Hamlets and Brighter Future programs also offer breakfast programs, he noted. School staff and community volunteers sometimes raise additional funds and donate their time to ensure students are getting meals, the minister added.
SA国际影视传媒淚f we want to mandate teachers to have a food program, a mandatory thing, I think thatSA国际影视传媒檚 something that ISA国际影视传媒檒l have to take back with me and weSA国际影视传媒檒l have to see if that can be considered for future budgets but at this time we are not doing it for this one,SA国际影视传媒� said Joanasie.
Lightstone, Iqluit-Manirajak MLA, who pointed out that this issue had been raised during last yearSA国际影视传媒檚 budget proceedings, said he believes it should be the Department of Education that assumes that responsibility by giving the school faculty all the resources that they
require to ensure these children are being fed.
Main added that he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 feel it should be up to teachers, already SA国际影视传媒渋nundated with a heavy workload,SA国际影视传媒� to do any cooking.
Joanasie said, SA国际影视传媒淲e, too, can look at volunteers but it is due to the lack of cooks that poses the biggest challenge.SA国际影视传媒�
Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt suggested that breakfast program funds should flow from the Department of Education instead of the Department of Health.
