Despite the Education Ministry’s Policy on School Canteens, the Director of the National Wellness Centre Doctor Isimeli Tukana says the amount of healthy food being sold in school canteens across the country is still insignificant.
Doctor Tukana says parents are still telling them that there are no healthy options in some schools.
The Education Ministry’s Policy on Food and School Canteens outlines a list of approved and prohibited food items and beverages in school canteens.
There are about nine types of food and beverages that are approved while fifteen are prohibited but Fijivillage still witnesses some of the prohibited food and beverages being sold in schools around the country.
According to the Policy, the Head of School is the person in charge overall of monitoring the establishment and operations of the School Canteen Committee, irrespective of whether the canteen is operated by the school management or the canteen contractor.
Doctor Tukana says it is unfortunate because students learn about healthy foods in their classes until they visit the school canteen.
Tukana says they are addressing this problem through awareness and inspections by Health Inspectors but that is also problem in itself as they need more health inspectors.
He says the real change will only come from school managers and head of schools.
