BENGALURU: Three months after they were introduced in the menu of midday meals at government schools across the state, eggs are being consumed by 91% of the students, and attendance goes up by 6-7% on average on the days eggs are served, education department officials said.
Vishal R, commissioner, department of public instruction, said that 91% students consume eggs, while the rest go for the alternatives: 7% prefer bananas and 2% chikkis (made of peanuts and jaggery). "The number of kids eating eggs is increasing in such a way that the attendance goes up by 6-7% on days when they are provided," he told TOI.
Since September, the government has been serving eggs twice a week for students of classes 1 to 8. The programme was implemented in seven districts in North Karnataka last year. According to the department of public instruction, a total of 46 lakh students are pursuing education till class 8 in government schools.
A survey conducted by the education department in 2021 had found that 80% of the 15 lakh students said they want eggs with midday meals.
Schools TOI spoke to said the number of children eating eggs is steadily going up. According to Kuka K, an assistant teacher from government model school, Haradi in Dakshina Kannada, the number of children eating eggs touched 300 this month as against the 150 during the initial days. Basappa Gaddi, a teacher from a government school at Singanodi in Raichur taluk and district, said, out of 165 students in his school, 130 are consuming eggs, up from 70 when the programme began. Malatesh V from government higher primary school in Gadag said that out of their 323 students, 95% are eating eggs and it was 80% earlier.
Narayan N from Honnavar government school said more than 40 children in his school, who do not consume eggs at home, have started eating them with the midday meals. Shantha AR, a craft teacher at a government school in Bengaluru North, said all 19 students in class 8 in her school eat eggs and the number includes two students who do not consume eggs at home.
"Their mothers are fine with the kids eating eggs outside their homes," she added. Sarojini N, a class 8 teacher at a government school in Hebbal, said she too has seen students who do not consume eggs at home prefer them on their midday meal platter.