Primary school breakfast programme rolls out across Barbados

About 17,000 students in Barbados’ primary school system are now able to benefit from the Government’s national breakfast programme.

Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman said the initiative, launched with the new academic year, is aimed at ensuring children do not start the school day hungry.

“We would go across the country around 9.30, 10. There were too many children with their heads on the desk,” he said. “When you ask the question, why is it that they’re like that? They’re hungry.”

He said the breakfast initiative was part of Government’s wider education transformation programme, alongside infrastructure upgrades, technology and teacher training.

“If we are doing transformation, yes, we do the construction, we do the technology, we train our teachers even more. But if children’s basic need, but an important need of ensuring that they have something in their stomachs, if that can’t be met, we have to intervene,” Blackman said.

Blackman said the programme forms part of Government’s wider education transformation efforts and is intended to ease the burden on parents who may struggle to provide breakfast before school.

“It eases the burden of the parent who may not be able to provide it,” he said.

He said the meals include a variety of nutritious options, with the Ministry monitoring both the quality of the food and delivery times to ensure classes can begin on schedule.

Blackman also said the programme would complement the lunches already provided to primary school students.

Meanwhile, the Ministry is continuing efforts to get school vendors to offer healthier food choices. Vendors have received training from the Ministries of Health and Education Transformation, as well as the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“Behaviours don’t change overnight, but they’ve started to really show signs of selling products that are a lot healthier,” he said.

He acknowledged that the changes would take time but said the Government wants to see a reduction in childhood obesity.

Blackman also warned companies against using schools to promote ultra-processed foods.

“Schools are hands off,” he said, urging businesses not to use donations or other initiatives to market unhealthy products to students.

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