Increased calls have been made by School Administrators and nutritionists for the Government to not only increase funding for the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) but to expand the program so that needy students that are not listed as beneficiaries of the program may benefit as well.

This call comes after principals outlined that they have been forced to find creative ways to meet the needs of the students due to insufficient funds.

One such case involved Clarendon based institution Edwin Allen who announced on Friday the discontinuation of lunches for students on the PATH programme for the remaining portion of the school term.

Another complaint arose from the Principal of the Black River high school Christopher Romans who outlined that 670 of 1570 students are on PATH.

He, however, underscored that while 70 per cent of the students take advantage of the free lunch, the sum of $150 which has been allocated by the Government is insufficient with the average lunch grossing $450.

As such, the decision was made to prioritize students that are sitting exams.

He also noted that some teachers have also had to use their own funds to ensure that students have gotten a nutritious meal.

Meanwhile, the principal of Spanish Town Primary Roojae Kirlew is urging the Government to issue 100 per cent increase in funds for PATH lunches.