Free breakfast for 10,000 needy students in First World SGP

Atobe SG

Why does a FIRST WORLD Country - such as Singapore - still have 10,000 needy students ?

Is this the "tip of an iceberg" that is reflective of a larger poverty problem that is largely denied by the Singapore Government a.k.a the Ruling Political Party ?

Are these children from Singaporean families in the Lower Income Group, or are these children of migrants on work pass ?

The recently announced S$3 Billion "election vote buying" handout would have gone a longer way to help the families of these 10,000 needy students, who are fed breakfast at $1 a day - "consisting of biscuit and hot drink" - but left to their own wits to find the remaining two meals.

An extract from Channelnewsasia :

About 10,000 needy students to get free breakfast under new programme

By Joanne Leow, Channel NewsAsia

An estimated 10,000 needy primary school students are going to get free breakfast under a new programme funded by the Education Ministry.

Costing some S$1.3 million annually, the School Breakfast Programme has been taken up by 177 primary schools, or three-quarters of primary schools.

Starting next month, the schools will receive $1 per school day for each student under the Financial Assistance Scheme.

Proper nourishment is important for a growing child - especially the most important meal of the day, which some needy kids might not be getting.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Education Minister, said: "Breakfast is important. A whole range of international studies now show that it's very important for kids to have something in their stomachs at the start of the day. Helps them pay attention, concentrate, helps them do well."

Speaking at the awards ceremony for the Taman Jurong school children's assistance scheme, Mr Tharman said schools had provided feedback that they wanted to do more for their needy students.

Most already have help schemes in place.

Chew Chong Theng, Principal, Lakeside Primary School, said: "We've been starting our breakfast scheme since 2004. What we have been doing is to provide hot drinks and biscuits to the pupils. And what we have been educating the children about is the importance of a balanced meal."

the Bear SG

well, hey.. the "lea-duh of the free world" has a lot of people living under the poverty line too...

i would say that it is more vital to address why they are living in poverty...

and hey... if they are "denied", the gabrament won't be "feeding" them Wink

what do you think we should do? something i've seen is that no matter how fine a mesh in the nets you put up, there will be some who will slip through..

the challenge is how to help our fellow citizens who have..

picking on programmes is not the way to do it...

Atobe SG

While "the lea-duh of the free world" do not comment about the existence of their large number of poverty stricken class - our MM LKY had invited the world to find poverty in Singapore, and boasted that there are no homeless and vagrants in Singapore.

Are the vital signs towards a declining Middle Income Group not clear enough that all is not well in the way the economy is being managed ?

The list of bankruptcies continue at a high charged rate of 300 cases per month - from a high of 500 per month in 2003.

Throwing loose change to individual account will not help Singaporeans, or those who need help most.

Picking out the useless program will at least help to consolidate the many meagre efforts - under various clever names that merely disguise the dirty word "social welfare" - and carried out in a haphazard manner that the needy do not even know such help even exist.

If help must be given, it should be given as an overall overhaul, and managed by one Ministry that is responsible for the effectiveness and results of such help that is given.

Medicated Oil SG

Just wondering how did the 10 000 students survived for last few years ?

Why do the government have to wait until THIS year to do something about it ?

Expecting for 6% GST after the election is won as we are the people paying for all the goodies.

Give one and Take Ten times back.

Hope the MPs can stop all their wayanging and do some serious work.

Just stop the useless upgrading from all the town councils and stop wasting money on all the extravagant events on sucking up to the various MPs.

Then, we should have money to deal with the real issues of Singapore.

Stop cheating the people about the good picture.

charlize SG

Election year mah.

The government is fulfilling its promise that they willl only help when there is a budget surplus.

If there is no surplus, good luck to the old, the poor, the needy and the unemployed. Laughing

will4 SG

I agreed on this cause in America or Australia advanced society also bound to have poor people on the street. As for the bankruptcy cases, there is a

show telling that people often spent beyond their mean. Is government af fault for not stopping them?

dragg SG

there are needy people only when the govt needs them.

will4 SG

I think these student deserved better but at least help is being offer.

claudetnt SG

At least the education Minister have just awaken from his slumbers but the ” Rip Van Winkle” Health Minister is still ihaving his siesta!

charlize SG

Only during election time.

Only during election time. Laughing

dragg SG

i agree.

a lot of positive things happen whenever the election is around the corner.

abao SG

Originally posted by Atobe:
The recently announced S$3 Billion "election vote buying" handout would have gone a longer way to help the families of these 10,000 needy students, who are fed breakfast at $1 a day - consisting of biscuit and hot drink - but left to their own wits to find the remaining two meals.

I'm more concerned about this. Has our inflation sky rocketed so high until $1 can only get you biscuits and a drink?

10years ago I can get bread and drink with change leh... Rolling Eyes

charlize SG

I wonder how many biscuits you need to eat before you are full. Laughing

Medicated Oil SG

Biscuits and a packet of drink ?

The needy students are treated like a bunch of beggars.

Should they not be given proper breakfast ?

After sucking so much money from the people and wasting so much money to setting up tombstone signboard to remind resident who their MPs are, can the money to proper use in helping the people.

Please render proper assistence if you are sincere.

geodome SG

it's enough, unless the fund are not managed properly

eg. install gold sinks into someone's toilet

but biscuit and hot drinks is definitely nutritious. it's pathetic.

i bet these kids have biscuit and hot drinks at home for breakfast, even if the government is not going to offer them free food.

seriously, boiled eggs don't cost a bomb. i think these kids deserve a proper hamd and egg breakfast, that would be complementary to their development.

dragg SG

i heard that those who cant afford breakfast drinks tap water to fill their stomach.

laurence82 SG

WHat breakfast? Mee pok, or chicken porridge?

I remember surviving on bread and margarine when i was in primary school

zictool SG

Anyone ever wonder whether there actually is any surplus at all? For all we may know... maybe the accounts aint in the black but in the red? Remember enron?
Theres no transparency in the accounts at all... whos doing the checking and accounting for it..
Wouldn't Sg's economy crash if its found out that theres no $$ in the safekeep anymore????

LazerLordz SG

Especially after the constitutional amendment that allowed GLCs to dip into the reserves.

tiggersgd SG

why don't you guys/gals go and see it for yourselves first hand rather than leaning on media to dictate all your views?

and pls, even if its after election year, there will still be needy students/people on different levels. its how you define needy ala First World standard.