KINGSTON, Jamaica — School canteens will provide one-third of the recommended 2,000 daily calorie intake for students on the Government’s school feeding programme.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dana Morris Dixon made the disclosure in the Senate on Friday.

She was responding to a question posed by Opposition Spokesman on Education, Senator Damion Crawford. The minister had earlier made a statement where she announced that the National Nutrition Policy which was adopted by Cabinet in April, will be phased in over the next five years.

She said the Government is investing over $1 billion to provide breakfast for approximately 69,000 students in the National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP) schools.

“This is part of a broader $9 billion programme that aims to reach 200,000 children with a nutritious breakfast, snack and/or mid-day meal. We know that children cannot learn if they are hungry. And we are determined to ensure that no child sits in a classroom distracted by an empty stomach,” Morris Dixon said.

“Let me be clear: No child should come to school and go through the day without a proper meal. With this policy, we signal to every parent, every teacher, and most importantly, every student, that the Government of Jamaica sees them, hears them, and is working for them. We are building a nation where no child is left behind because of hunger. Where schools are not only places of learning, but also environments of wellness,” Morris Dixon added.

She said, “We cannot talk about the nutrition policy without addressing our school feeding programme. The policy will strengthen and expand the Nutrition Products Limited programme and other school-based meal initiatives by improving meal quality and nutritional content, expanding breakfast offerings to reduce morning hunger and investing in kitchen infrastructure in schools where needed”.