Thursday 15 May 2008 @ 17:05
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Healthier school dinners
Sweets and fatty foods will disappear from menus in Scottish primary schools from this August as new rules make school dinners the healthy option.
Under the new regulations being introduced in Parliament this week, primary schools will:
* Offer at least two portions of fruit and vegetables every lunchtime
* Provide free drinking water to pupils throughout the day
* Limit deep fried food to three items each week
Sweets and fizzy drinks will be removed from schools and chips will only be served as part of an overall balanced and nutritional meal.
Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills, said:
"Putting healthy options on a plate for pupils every day will develop their taste for the food that's good for them and stop unhealthy habits from taking hold.
"That means they benefit on a daily basis and for the rest of their lives."
The nutritional regulations were created with input from a group of nutrition, child health, dental and education experts who gave their advice on what should be served up in school canteens and vending machines. Ministers considered the proposals which have led to the new nutritional guidelines for Scottish schools that will be written in to legislation.
The new legislation will come into force in secondary schools from August 3, 2009 to allow them more time to make a phased transition to the healthier menus. However, schools which feel able to make the changes effectively from August this year will be encouraged to do so.
The Health and Wellbeing message, however, will not stop at the school dinner hall.
Today the Government and Learning Teaching Scotland are also publishing new guidelines on teaching health and wellbeing in schools as part of Curriculum for Excellence - and PE is a major focus.
Under Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish schools will be expected to offer young people a minimum of two hours of quality physical education every week
Ms Watt said:
"This will give children and young people an important foundation for participation in experiences in physical activities and sport in preparation for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle."
Physical activity and sport will take place, in addition to planned PE sessions, at break times and lunchtimes and beyond the school day.
Children will be encouraged to learn about all aspects of healthy eating, from creating healthy food options to understanding hygienic practices. They will also explore issues such as the pressures placed on them by food advertisers and the political debate which surrounds food and health today.
Children will be encouraged to take their healthy knowledge home too, as they will also be taught how to read food labels so that they can make better choices about the food they eat - and help their parents shop more healthily.
Ms Watt said:
"This Government has already demonstrated how important we believe the early years of our children's lives are, particularly in relation to diet and pre-school education. Our nutritional guidance, early intervention and the forthcoming early years strategy all place children very firmly at the heart of our policies.
"But obesity is an increasing problem and poses a serious risk to health. That's why tackling the problem, particularly in early life, is a high priority and why we're determined to help children develop a taste for healthy eating at the earliest possible age.
"As part of our national food policy we will be encouraging people to develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives and help tackle the serious problem of obesity.
"Giving children guidance on what's good for them and how to make good food choices is essential in taking this forward."
Students at all levels will learn how to develop an appreciation of good food and to recognise its importance in a social and cultural context.
Guidance on teaching good food practice forms part of the Health and Wellbeing "draft outcomes" which are published today as part of the Government's plans to introduce a more holistic approach to education for children aged three to 18.
Ms Watt said: "The draft outcomes for our new curriculum are intended to help teachers make teaching more relevant, exciting and engaging. We are keen to receive feedback on the outcomes from professionals who will be working towards this transformational across Scottish education.
"It is vitally important that teachers read and react to these draft outcomes and think about how they will be able to use this guidance to make their teaching as good as it can be."
Anyone with an interest can give their feedback by using a questionnaire on the Learning Teaching Scotland website www.ltscotland.org.uk
The Health and Wellbeing draft outcomes are pointers on what children should be learning and demonstrate to teachers how lessons can be linked, eg. How a lesson on preparing food can be linked to social history.
From 2002 local authorities have been encouraged to adopt a whole-school approach to promoting the wellbeing of all pupils and staff. The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 builds on this work and ensures that health promotion will have a central and continuing focus in education. The guidance will help local authorities and schools meet their health promotion duties under the Act.
Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide seamless education from age three to 18 and is taking a fresh look at what is taught in schools and how.
It aims to ensure that all young people can be successful learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens.
School pupils are already seeing changes in their classrooms through the groundwork that has been ongoing since 2004. The draft outcomes provide further tools for teachers. The plans are being firmed up in this school year and in 2009/2010 all schools across Scotland will be working on delivery.
School meals in Scotland have undergone a transformation due to the Hungry for Success initiative. The Act builds on Hungry for Success and requires local authorities and managers of grant-aided schools to ensure that food and drink provided in schools comply with the nutritional requirements specified by Scottish Ministers in regulations.
Related Information
Under the new regulations being introduced in Parliament this week, primary schools will:
* Offer at least two portions of fruit and vegetables every lunchtime
* Provide free drinking water to pupils throughout the day
* Limit deep fried food to three items each week
Sweets and fizzy drinks will be removed from schools and chips will only be served as part of an overall balanced and nutritional meal.
Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills, said:
"Putting healthy options on a plate for pupils every day will develop their taste for the food that's good for them and stop unhealthy habits from taking hold.
"That means they benefit on a daily basis and for the rest of their lives."
The nutritional regulations were created with input from a group of nutrition, child health, dental and education experts who gave their advice on what should be served up in school canteens and vending machines. Ministers considered the proposals which have led to the new nutritional guidelines for Scottish schools that will be written in to legislation.
The new legislation will come into force in secondary schools from August 3, 2009 to allow them more time to make a phased transition to the healthier menus. However, schools which feel able to make the changes effectively from August this year will be encouraged to do so.
The Health and Wellbeing message, however, will not stop at the school dinner hall.
Today the Government and Learning Teaching Scotland are also publishing new guidelines on teaching health and wellbeing in schools as part of Curriculum for Excellence - and PE is a major focus.
Under Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish schools will be expected to offer young people a minimum of two hours of quality physical education every week
Ms Watt said:
"This will give children and young people an important foundation for participation in experiences in physical activities and sport in preparation for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle."
Physical activity and sport will take place, in addition to planned PE sessions, at break times and lunchtimes and beyond the school day.
Children will be encouraged to learn about all aspects of healthy eating, from creating healthy food options to understanding hygienic practices. They will also explore issues such as the pressures placed on them by food advertisers and the political debate which surrounds food and health today.
Children will be encouraged to take their healthy knowledge home too, as they will also be taught how to read food labels so that they can make better choices about the food they eat - and help their parents shop more healthily.
Ms Watt said:
"This Government has already demonstrated how important we believe the early years of our children's lives are, particularly in relation to diet and pre-school education. Our nutritional guidance, early intervention and the forthcoming early years strategy all place children very firmly at the heart of our policies.
"But obesity is an increasing problem and poses a serious risk to health. That's why tackling the problem, particularly in early life, is a high priority and why we're determined to help children develop a taste for healthy eating at the earliest possible age.
"As part of our national food policy we will be encouraging people to develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives and help tackle the serious problem of obesity.
"Giving children guidance on what's good for them and how to make good food choices is essential in taking this forward."
Students at all levels will learn how to develop an appreciation of good food and to recognise its importance in a social and cultural context.
Guidance on teaching good food practice forms part of the Health and Wellbeing "draft outcomes" which are published today as part of the Government's plans to introduce a more holistic approach to education for children aged three to 18.
Ms Watt said: "The draft outcomes for our new curriculum are intended to help teachers make teaching more relevant, exciting and engaging. We are keen to receive feedback on the outcomes from professionals who will be working towards this transformational across Scottish education.
"It is vitally important that teachers read and react to these draft outcomes and think about how they will be able to use this guidance to make their teaching as good as it can be."
Anyone with an interest can give their feedback by using a questionnaire on the Learning Teaching Scotland website www.ltscotland.org.uk
The Health and Wellbeing draft outcomes are pointers on what children should be learning and demonstrate to teachers how lessons can be linked, eg. How a lesson on preparing food can be linked to social history.
From 2002 local authorities have been encouraged to adopt a whole-school approach to promoting the wellbeing of all pupils and staff. The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 builds on this work and ensures that health promotion will have a central and continuing focus in education. The guidance will help local authorities and schools meet their health promotion duties under the Act.
Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide seamless education from age three to 18 and is taking a fresh look at what is taught in schools and how.
It aims to ensure that all young people can be successful learners, effective contributors, confident individuals and responsible citizens.
School pupils are already seeing changes in their classrooms through the groundwork that has been ongoing since 2004. The draft outcomes provide further tools for teachers. The plans are being firmed up in this school year and in 2009/2010 all schools across Scotland will be working on delivery.
School meals in Scotland have undergone a transformation due to the Hungry for Success initiative. The Act builds on Hungry for Success and requires local authorities and managers of grant-aided schools to ensure that food and drink provided in schools comply with the nutritional requirements specified by Scottish Ministers in regulations.
Related Information
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/08160456/0
