Video of kids cooking midday meal in Agra school goes viral

AGRA: There are no free lunches, quite literally, for students of a government primary school in the city. In a video that was recently uploaded online and shared widely, two girl students of Runkata government primary school, under the Sikandra police jurisdiction, can be seen sitting making chapatis for the midday meal along with a cook in the school’s kitchen.A probe into the incident was ordered by the basic shiksha adhikari (BSA), Archana Gupta.
“We hardly see any teacher in this school. Students are often seen playing in the ground outside. The girls are made to help the cook in preparing food for the midday meal,” said a local resident, on anonymity, who had shot the video.
The video was shot from outside the school’s boundary wall and released online. While one of the two girls can be seen making the dough for chapatis, the other is seen chopping vegetables. Both girls are wearing school uniforms. The cook, sitting beside them, tosses the chapatis on the stove.
The primary school has three teachers and around 150 students. Speaking to TOI over the phone, BSA Gupta said, “I have seen the video and called a probe into the matter. There is at least one cook in every primary school. Making students cook the midday meal is not acceptable. Strict action will be taken against the principal and teachers after enquiry.”
Despite repeated attempts, the school principal could not be contacted.