Why SS3 students of GGSS Doma take breakfast late – Ministry
By Pet Nathan
The Gombe State Ministry of Education has explained why the final year students of Government Girls Mega College, Doma, are taking their breakfast in the afternoon.
Jewel Post reports that there are allegations that some Senior Secondary School (SS3) students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been missing meals due to the examination schedule.
Some students, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that they had been experiencing hunger and feared possible health complications as a result of going for long hours without meals during the examination period.
However, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Special Assistant on Media to the Gombe State Ministry of Education, Saidu Bappah Malala, said there was sufficient food supply in the school.
He maintained that students receive meals regularly, even during the examination period.
“Students get food in the morning, afternoon and evening. Recently, we distributed non-perishable food items to boarding schools. As you know, we have 20 boarding schools across the state.
“We do not have any case of underfeeding. I have reached out to the Director of School Services, because schools are directly under him, as well as the principal of the school, and I am convinced by the explanations they provided,” Malala said
He explained that the situation affecting SS3 students was as a result of the ongoing WAEC examinations, rather than a shortage of food.
Malala added, “What happened is that the SS3 students are currently writing their final-year examinations, which are conducted according to a timetable. Their first paper starts at 10 a.m., and unfortunately they cannot eat until they complete it.
“Secondly, their next paper is scheduled for around noon or 1 p.m., and because of the examination timetable, they do not receive lunch until 5 p.m. It is the examination schedule, not a lack of food, that causes the delay. They then receive dinner at about 6:30 p.m.”
The Ministry’s spokesman further explained that the school’s large student population makes it difficult to prepare separate meals for a specific category of students during examination periods.
“Doma has a population of 1,834 students, while the SS3 class comprises about 500 students. What the school usually does is prepare meals for all students at once. Preparing separate meals for a specific group would be difficult because ingredients are measured according to the number of students and the quantity of food required. It would be quite tedious.
“However, with or without examinations, their breakfast time remains 10 a.m.,” he stated.
