Burning Issue: Can schools play a key role in teaching pupils about healthy eating?

Published on Wednesday 20 August 2008 22:46

Yes FIONA HYSLOP Cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning

WE BELIEVE providing healthy and nutritious school meals from an early age will help young people develop and grow, but know improving food in schools is only one piece of the puzzle. It is essential children learn about healthy eating in school, if we are to change Scotland's bad eating habits. Health promotion guidance issued in May, with new guidance on health and wellbeing, make clear we expect schools to help children understand how diet and health are connected.

We know schools alone cannot change eating habits of future generations, but they have an essential role to play. That's why we undertook a free school meals trial this year for P1-P3. Feedback has been positive and we will publish a report on the findings soon. If the findings are positive, and subject to the necessary legislation being passed, we have agreed in our concordat with Cosla to roll out free school meals for all P1-P3 children in Scotland from August 2010.

New regulations for primary schools have removed sweets and fizzy drinks from sale. Chips are only served as part of a balanced meal. Habits of secondary pupils are more difficult to change, so we are not expecting them to adopt healthier menus until next August.

It is encouraging that local authorities are embracing this opportunity to make a difference and some have seen rises in uptake of school meals. We recognise the challenge posed by chip and burger vans, but some councils have taken steps to stop them trading near schools at lunchtime. Others have introduced their own vans with healthy options. This proves schools can have an influence on making children healthier and more active.

No

CARINA NORRIS,

a nutritionist researching a PhD at Queen Margaret University on school lunches

THE problem with children's food choices is they generally aren't interested in their health – just in the taste of the food. Issues such as long-term health and future risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer they don't see as relevant because they live for the present.

Current research is showing that when children are given access to a variety of foods including unhealthy options, the chances are they will go for junk food laden in fat and sugar with the consequent knock-on effect for their long-term health.

Unfortunately, now children are allowed out of school at lunchtime, depending on where the school is, they are getting access to a whole range of foods that would not be available to them in the school dining hall. It's all down to access, if the children can't get the food, they can't eat it.

One problem is a lot of shops offering unhealthy meal deals, which seem to be targeted towards children, and fast-food vans which often park near schools.

The solution is going to be difficult because it is multi-faceted. Now that children are allowed out of schools, if we try to restrict them and keep them in, it will probably be seen as intervention of the nanny state.

Providing healthy school meals is significant progress, but it results in children voting with their feet and leaving the premises to graze on their favourite junk food.

Unfortunately, the genie is out of the bottle. Ideally, we would keep children on the school premises, eating healthy lunches but it's going to be very difficult to achieve.