AS consultation sessions on the National School Nutrition Policy Green Paper continue islandwide a call has been made for dieticians and nutritionists trained at two of the island’s universities to be made part of the monitoring framework once it is rolled out in schools.

A representative making the suggestion during a Ministry of Education and Youth National School Nutrition Policy consultation session, held at the Caenwood Centre in the Corporate Area, recently said the vision for the policy would not materialise if monitoring was left up to the teachers, and professionals were excluded.

“I don’t think any of this can happen without the monitoring and evaluation by the nutrition and dietetics fraternity,” the individual said, going further to query whether there will be zonal school nutritionists who will monitor the policy.

“Why are teachers the ones responsible for monitoring? We have two institutions that graduate dieticians and nutritionists yearly — the Northern Caribbean University and the University of Technology [Jamaica]. We are medical professionals who are trained to monitor and guide persons. Many people think dietitians are only in the hospitals. We should be in schools, nursing homes, children’s homes — all of these facilities,” the representative stated.

“There is a cadre of graduates who are willing and ready to be school nutrition practitioners,” he ended.

Acting permanent secretary in the education ministry, Maureen Dwyer, reacting to the proposal said it along with others which were raised by students in attendance would be communicated to the minister for consideration.

Dwyer, speaking earlier during the session, had noted the feedback of students to the National Education Inspectorate about nutrition in their schools. She referenced a 2016-2017 poll in which some 12,000 students at the primary and secondary level were questioned about nutrition in their schools.

For the closed responses at the primary level, 64 per cent felt the canteen provided nutritious meals while at the secondary level only 48 per cent of students felt the meals were good.

One education ministry official, delving behind the responses during the session, said some students actually reported that they “got raw meat” and that “the oil that was used [to prepare meals] was stale”, while some said, “the food they got was just shoved at them”.

“So, you can well imagine that those comments have been on our mind. So the policy is now a Green Paper, meaning it was tabled in Parliament and comments are now being invited on it,” Dwyer told students.

Among the concerns expressed by the pupils, who hailed from primary schools, high schools and universities, were the cost of healthy meals which they contended are more expensive than unhealthy foods. Concerns were also expressed about the affordability of balanced meals for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH). Students also expressed the need for a feedback mechanism so they can report schools which are delinquent in providing healthy meals.

Dwyer, commenting further at the end of the session, said, “Maybe we need to do a little more to make the policy a little more realistic, based on the feedback from our students.”

The National School Nutrition Policy was developed by the Government to ensure that children are exposed to good nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Under the provision the Government will work to guide and, in some cases, mandate school cafeterias to prepare healthier options for students.

Already, since January 1, 2020, sweetened drinks with total sugar concentration exceeding a maximum of five grams/100 ml have been restricted from schools.