BGN head says school dropouts are caused by pocket money

Jakarta, Thejabarnews.com—The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has come up with a surprising reason why Indonesian kids drop out of school. BGN head Dadan Hindayana said that the biggest problem is not the cost of tuition. Instead, he said the main reason is that parents cannot give their kids pocket money every day.

Dadan told Helmy Yahya Bicara about the finding. He said that in many places, education is already free. However, low-income families still have a difficult time paying for small things like snacks, drinks, and lunch every day.

“Our most recent study shows that many kids drop out of school because their parents can give them pocket money every day,’ Dadan said.

For families who are just getting by, even a little bit of pocket money can make the difference between a child going to school and staying home. Kids often feel awful when they show up without lunch or snacks. Additionally, parents have a challenging time making their limited income cover all of their needs. If you do not go to school regularly, you might end up dropping out for good.

This fact was one of the main reasons the government started the free meals program (MBG), which gives schools healthy lunches. As a result, kids no longer need to rely on pocket money or food from home. Now they can get meals on campus. 

“Kids who still get pocket money can save the money because they already get their basic meals at school,” Dadan said.

A pilot project in Warung Kiara that lasted 1.5 years showed early signs of having an effect. Teachers said that more students were coming to class and that they were more motivated to learn. Students were more excited to go to school because they knew they would get healthy food every day.

The MBG’s goals go beyond education to include long-term health goals. BGN hopes it will help kids grow taller and healthier. It will also keep them in school. As Indonesia works toward its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, this project is part of a larger plan. The aim is to create a healthier, more educated generation.

For many parents, the policy has a big effect on their daily lives. It takes some of the stress off of giving lunch money. In addition, it makes parents feel better knowing that their kids can focus on learning instead of being hungry.

In this statement about how national policy affects people, a simple meal connects poverty with opportunity, one lunchbox at a time.