Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: School meals alone increase enrollment and attendance rates by nine and eight percent, respectively, a UNESCO report revealed.
According to the report, deworming and micronutrient supplementation can keep children in school for an additional 2.5 years in anemia and infection-prevalent places.
Enrolment increases in school
Besides, students are 50 percent less likely to avoid going to schools when the learning environment in the school is free from violence, and absenteeism is reduced in developing countries when promoting handwashing, particularly for girls during menstruation, when water, sanitation, and hygiene is improved.
The farming community needs innovative ways to address significant complexities of food security and support for agriculture development to grow and sustain.
The UNESCO report also addresses other issues, such as promoting mental health, eyecare, the well-being of children, and prevention of violence in school.
Measures like these represent a remarkable return on investment for countries, in addition to improving the lives of children and adolescents, with benefits extending to homes and whole communities.
