III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Agenda item 8: Adoption of report and closing

141. The draft report of the Meeting was reviewed by the participants and adopted.

142. In conclusion, Biplab K. Nandi thanked the participants and guests for their active participation and valuable inputs to the Meeting. He expressed optimism that the outputs of the Meeting specifically the action plans at the country level would bring forward school nutrition education for sustainable food and nutrition security.

Appendix I

Technical Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for
Food and Nutrition on School Based Nutrition

17 – 20 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Appendix II

OPENING ADDRESS
By
He Changchui
Assistant Director-General and
Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific

delivered at the

Technical Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for
Food and Nutrition on School Based Nutrition

17 – 20 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand

Distinguished participants,
Representatives from WHO and UNESCO
FAO colleagues from Headquarters and the regional office,
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is indeed a pleasure for me to address this important Technical Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition on School Based Nutrition. On behalf of FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf and on my own behalf, I welcome all of you to this meeting organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

There have been major changes in the nutrition scenario in the Asia- Pacific region. Although the region is still facing problems related to undernutrition and food insecurity, significant proportions of the people of the region are confronted with the double burden of malnutrition and diet-related chronic diseases. Obesity, diabetes, coronary heart diseases, hypertension and certain forms of cancers have indeed been recognized as main causes of premature death and disability not only in industrialized countries but also in many developing countries that are becoming more and more prone to such life-style and diet-related health problems.

FAO recognizes the important contribution that schools can make in countries’ efforts to overcome food insecurity and such types of malnutrition problems. To support these efforts, FAO in collaboration with other international organizations develops and promotes innovative strategies and materials that assist countries to plan and implement school based nutrition education. The organization of the present consultation is indeed timely and relevant in this context.

Schools are potentially excellent settings for nutrition education. Children consume at least one or two meals daily on school grounds. The school environment can strongly influence children’s eating behaviours, whether through the examples provided by teachers and other adults, the food served in the cafeteria and classroom, or through exposure to peer habits. Effective nutrition education helps shape these environmental factors and assists students in developing the skills needed to select healthy diets. Given that eating habits have a profound impact on health in childhood and adulthood, schools provide a logical venue for ensuring that nutrition education reaches all school-age children, and even beyond, to their family members. It has been recognized that nutrition education plays an important role in an overall strategy for improving children’s eating habits. A well-designed curriculum can focus on developing skills in food selection and preparation rather than just imparting information about the relationship between diet and health.

There is potential for the school meals programme to assume a more active role in nutrition education. It may be a good idea if schools consider taking steps toward including educational cafeteria programmes as well as classroom work in school nutrition education.

Because eating habits developed during childhood have the potential to last a lifetime, it is important for children to learn about the benefits of good nutrition. Education to establish healthy eating habits in life can assure that individuals have the information and skills they need to protect and enhance their own health and the health of their families. One can think of establishing “Team Nutrition” to help schools implement the School Meals Initiative. The mission of “Team Nutrition” could be to improve the health and education of young people by creating innovative public and private partnerships that promote food choices for a healthful diet through media, schools, families, and the community. “Team Nutrition” can work simultaneously through two initiatives which include training and technical assistance to school food service personnel, and nutrition education for children.

Another concept which has tremendous potential towards nutrition promotion is establishing School Gardens. School Gardens are powerful tools for improving child nutrition and education. They have the potential to improve food security and human nutrition at the household level through replication in the home. FAO encourages schools to create moderate-sized learning gardens, producing a variety of fruits and vegetables using simple techniques so that teachers and parents can easily manage the garden and students can apply gardening techniques in their home. Improving the nutritional value of school meals by supplementing them with food rich in micronutrients, fresh from the School Garden is one of many benefits that School Gardens can offer.

The goal of nutrition education is to motivate people to eat a healthy diet. Children are an important audience for nutrition education because a healthy diet is essential for their normal growth and development, and because children are establishing food patterns that carry into adulthood. Good nutrition promotes not only better physical health and reduced susceptibility to disease, but has also been demonstrated to contribute to cognitive development and academic success. Left to their own devices, children will not automatically select healthy foods. Their innate preference for sweet foods makes them particularly vulnerable to the highly sugared cereals, soda, and candy that are marketed to them virtually from birth. In order to develop lifelong healthy eating patterns, children need to be introduced to a variety of nutritious foods in a positive manner.

Distinguished Participants

Ladies and Gentleman

In collaboration with WHO and Education International, FAO co-published a document entitled Health Nutrition: An Essential Element of a Health-Promoting School. Implemented in southeastern China, FAO worked with WHO and the Education Development Centre to assist six pilot schools in developing nutrition education and services. The experiences gained in this project are described in two journal articles, namely Nutrition as an entry point for health promotion schools: lessons from China and Creating health-promoting schools in China with a focus on nutrition. In fact, the pilot projects proved to be so successful that the local governments have decided to expand the Health-Promoting Schools project into 50 additional schools in 11 cities across Zhejiang Province. A comprehensive Planning Guide to assist curriculum developers to plan nutrition education and activities that incorporate local nutrition issues and needs is forthcoming soon. A companion training manual will help prepare professionals to facilitate the curriculum planning and implementation process. Keeping this spirit in view, I suggest the meeting considers the following key action points during your discussions: (1) Compulsory Nutrition Education in the School Curriculum; (2) Inclusion of Comprehensive Nutrition Education Topics highlighting the relationship between diet and health; (3) Coordination of Nutrition Education at all national fora; (4) Providing more Resources for Nutrition Education; (5) Strengthening School Meals Programme; and (6) Introducing School Garden Programme.

I am pleased to share with you that two recently concluded projects in Bangladesh and Lao PDR have demonstrated that School Gardening amalgamated with nutrition education can be powerful tools for promoting horticulture and nutrition.

I am also happy to see that there are as many as 26 participants from 11 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam). Besides there are colleagues from international organization like WHO and UNESCO. I am confident that a meeting like this will generate rich deliberations and I am looking forward to the outcomes of the meeting.

I now declare the Technical Meeting of Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition on School Based Nutrition”open.

I thank you all and wish you a pleasant stay in Bangkok.

Appendix III

Technical Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for
Food and Nutrition on School Based Nutrition

17 – 20 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand

Timetable

0830 hrs Registration

0900 - 0930	Welcome Remarks Biplab K. Nandi, Secretary, ANFN, and Senior Food and Nutrition Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), Bangkok
	Introduction of Participants
	Opening Address ADG/RR, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
	Photo Session / Refreshment
1010 - 1040	Election of the Office Bearers Objectives, adoption of provisional agenda, timetable and organization of the Consultation Biplab K. Nandi, Senior Food and Nutrition Officer, FAORAP, Bangkok

Agenda Item 1: Global and regional trends in nutrition, health and education

1040 – 1100	HIV/AIDS Coordination and School Health in Asia Simon Baker, Chief, HIV/AIDS Coordination and School Health Unit, UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (PROAP)
1100 – 1130	Responding to trends in nutrition and health through schools in the Western Pacific Region Dr. Andrew Colin Bell, Technical Officer, Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO Western Pacific Region

Agenda Item 2: Country Presentations on the nutrition situation of school age children and school based health and nutrition programmes (incl. nutrition education)

1130 - 1230	Group work on the theme (4 groups; with country presentations)
1230 - 1330	Lunch hosted by ADG/RR, FAO RAP
1330 - 1430	Group work on the theme (contd.)
1430 – 1445	Plenary presentation on the theme, Group 1
1445 – 1500	Plenary presentation on the theme, Group 2
1500 – 1515	Plenary presentation on the theme, Group 3
1515 – 1530	Plenary presentation on the theme, Group 4
1530 - 1600	Coffee break
1600 – 1700	Questions and answers
1700 - 1715	Summing up
1715 - 1745	Meeting of the Drafting Committee

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, 18 JULY 2007

Agenda Item 3: Nutrition Education in Schools – FAO Approaches and Materials

0830 - 0900	Main influences on children’s food and eating patterns in the region Brainstorming (in groups)
0900 - 0930	Nutrition Education in Schools: FAO Approaches and Activities Ellen Muehlhoff, Senior Nutrition Officer, FAO Headquarters
0930 - 1000	Nutrition Education in Primary Schools: A Planning Guide for Curriculum Development Peter Glasauer, Nutrition Officer, FAO Headquarters
1000 - 1030	Coffee break
1030 - 1100	Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative Ellen Muehlhoff, Senior Nutrition Officer, FAO Headquarters
1100 - 1130	FAO’s approach and work in school gardening Biplab K. Nandi, Senior Food And Nutrition Officer, FAORAP
1130 - 1200	Questions and Discussion
1200 - 1300	Lunch

Agenda Item 4: Nutrition Education in Schools: Lessons Learned and Best Practices from Country Projects and Initiatives

1300 – 1325	Country Project 1 – Thailand
1325 – 1350	Country Project 2 – Philippines
1350 – 1415	Questions and discussion
1415 – 1440	Country Project 3 Bangladesh
1440 – 1510	Coffee break
1510 – 1535	Country Project 4 – India
1535 - 1600	Country Project 5 – Cambodia
1600 – 1630	Questions and discussion
1630 – 1645	Summary of lessons learned
1645 - 1715	Documents review
1715 – 1745	Meeting of the Drafting Committee

DAY 3: THURSDAY, 19 JULY 2007

Agenda Item 5: Review of ongoing country school health and nutrition programmes

0830 – 1030	Group work on ongoing country school health and nutrition programmes (as presented under agenda item 2; four working groups)
	- Coffee and Refreshment during Group Work -
1030 -1230	Presentation of the working group outputs and discussion
1230 – 1330	Lunch

Agenda Item 6: The way forward - future action

1330 - 1500	Group work on follow-up activities, dissemination strategies, potential funding sources and country action plans (four working groups; and country teams)
1500 - 1530	Coffee break
1530 - 1700	Presentation of the working group outputs and discussion (10+5 minutes per group outputs; +5 minutes per country action plan)
1700 -1730	Meeting of the Drafting Committee

Agenda item 7: Review of international conference on nutrition/World Food Summit follow-up Activities in the context of MDG

DAY 4: FRIDAY, 20 JULY 2007

0830 – 1200	Field visit to Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, Bangkok The Drafting Committee simultaneously prepares the draft Report of the Consultation
1200 - 1300	Lunch

Agenda item 8: Adoption of report and closing

1300 – 1415	Presentation and review of (draft) main findings and recommendations of the consultation
1415 – 1430	Adoption of recommendations
1430 - 1445	Closing of the Consultation

Appendix IV

Technical Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition

on School based Nutrition

17 – 20 July 2007, Bangkok, Thailand

Group work (4 groups) with country presentations of group members and preparation of summary for subsequent presentation and discussion in plenary.

Mandate:

1. describe the current country situation in respect of the points dealt with in the questionnaire and the outline given below, referring to any relevant documentation

2. raise questions (e.g. is nutrition education effective ?)

3. identify important issues and needs (e.g. need for teacher education, parent attitudes)

Participants base their presentations on their completed questionnaires.

Session format: Four groups, each representing three (two) countries.

- Each country describes its situation, which is summarized on PP slides or on a poster. Questions and issues are identified and noted on separate PP slides/posters.

- The group Rapporteur makes a plenary presentation.

- The slides/posters are displayed for future reference

- Documents are added to the document exhibition.

Outline for country presentation:

A. (1) the nutritional and health status of school-age children and
(2) factors that influence children’s food intake and nutritional practices

B. the response from the different sectors in terms of direct health and nutrition interventions (e.g. school feeding, de-worming, vitamin supplementation, health monitoring)

C. the response in terms of school based nutrition education, re-emphasising its importance in affecting behaviour and reaching future generations, and touching on the important parameters for effective NE (place in curriculum, time allocated, needs-based behaviour-oriented approach, whole-school policy, links to family and community, use of school gardens, staff development).

Outline for PowerPoint master slide / poster

Country: ……………………

A1. Summary of nutritional and health status of school-age children

A2. Factors influencing children’s food intake and nutritional practices

B. Inventory of existing direct health and nutrition interventions

C. Features of existing school based nutrition education programmes

Appendix IX

Agenda Item 5: Group work

Review of ongoing country school health and nutrition programmes (as presented under agenda item 2); four working groups

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Working from the needs and issues identified in the country presentations (Agenda item 2), groups review the ongoing health and nutrition programmes in their countries in various aspects, identifying strengths, priority needs, opportunities and challenges.

Working Group 1:  Curriculum content: what should be learned?

Review ongoing school health and nutrition programmes in your countries from the point of view of curriculum content

Working from the situation and issues identified in the country presentations,

• outline the principles on which curriculum content for nutrition education should be decided (e.g. priority needs, general knowledge, local conditions?)
• suggest what kinds of learning objectives should be given priority (knowledge, attitudes, practical skills, behaviour, all four?)
• indicate what areas are well covered by existing programmes and which areas need further development.

Working Group 2: Curriculum implementation: how can NE be integrated?

Review on-going school health and nutrition programmes in your countries from the point of view of curriculum implementation

Working from the situation and issues identified in the country presentations,

• describe existing processes for curriculum review at local or national level and attendant challenges
• suggest the most effective ways of establishing new curriculum in nutrition education (What sectors should be involved? What stakeholders should be consulted and how? What approval procedures are necessary? What kind of needs analysis is indicated?)
• suggest how new nutrition education topics can best be integrated into the existing curriculum (a cross-cutting issue across the curriculum, local/national action, formal vs informal options, stand-alone or integrated into other subjects) and what obstacles present themselves
• say if nutrition education should/could be incorporated into existing examination/certification structures.

Working Group 3: The tripartite approach: how can it be implemented?

Review on-going school health and nutrition programmes in your countries from the point of view of implementing the tripartite approach

Working from the situation and issues identified in the country presentations, indicate how far the tripartite approach is already implemented, how amenable the education system is to this strategy, what areas most need  improvement and what strategies might be most effective. Take each element in turn:

• the whole-school approach: individual school health and nutrition policy and mission statement; staff development and awareness of their status as role-models; hygiene and sanitation measures in school grounds; establishment of school gardens and their use in nutrition education; integration of nutrition education with direct health and nutrition interventions such as school feeding, deworming, vitamin supplements; approaches to snacks and snack vendors
• involvement of the family – as a resource and support, as a source of information for children and for the school, as receivers of messages, as helpers with homework
• involvement of the community – as a resource and support, as a source of information and as an object of study.

Working Group 4: Methodology and materials:

Review on-going school health and nutrition programmes in your countries from the point of view of teaching methodology and teaching materials

Working from the situation and issues identified in the country presentations,

• describe the methodological approach which is likely to be most effective in nutrition education
• identify essential and desirable elements in learning/teaching materials for nutrition education, including the role of learning materials in teacher development
• identify the strengths of present teaching staff and materials writers and suggest in what areas capacity needs to be developed
• identify appropriate institutional frameworks for such capacity-building (e.g. pre-service and in-service education, certification for teachers, organizations and conferences, writing workshops), including the establishment of regional networks for capacity building.

Appendix XIV

NAME:            ________________________

COUNTRY:    ________________________

Please write 2-3 paragraphs of the nutrition situation and ICN/WFS follow up activities in the context of MDGs of your country

(to be included into the proceedings/report)

NAME:            ________________________

TITLE:            ________________________

COUNTRY:    ________________________

Please write 3-4 paragraphs about the lesson learned and best practice on nutrition education in schools that you presented.

(to be included into the proceedings/report)