In Namibia there is a national school meal programme that provides a daily mid-morning meal to students from primary and combined schools. Other types of school food offered include those provided by tuck shops and food vendors outside the schools.
Food and nutrition education is mainly integrated into the national curriculum of primary and secondary level through the subjects of natural sciences, health education, home ecology and home economics. it is also part of extracurricular activities like the health-promoting school’s initiative supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
School Food
Namibia has run a national school meal programme, known as the Namibian School Feeding Programme (NSFP) since 1991. Through this programme, the government provides a daily mid-morning meal to students. Initially focused on orphaned and vulnerable children, the programme has since expanded to benefit the majority of government primary and combined schools. As of 2023, the programme has benefited 466 860 schoolchildren. Future plans include expanding the programme to Early Childhood Development centers and extending coverage to secondary schoolchildren.
The Namibian Government fully funds the NSFP. The Division of Management Planning Appraisal and Training (DMPAT), within the Directorate of Programmes and Quality Assurances under the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture oversees the programme at both the regional and national levels. Regional offices manage the programme at the school level, handling procurement, delivery and other logistical tasks. The programme provides a ration of approximately 125 gr of fortified maize blend porridge to each student, which supplies 30% of the recommended daily energy intake, equivalent to approximately 475 kcal for primary school-aged children (6 to 13 years old). The maize blend is fortified with essential vitamins, minerals and macronutrients like iron, zinc, Vitamin A, B vitamins, Vitamin D, Calcium, proteins and carbohydrates. Meals are prepared by volunteers, primarily parents within the community. In some schools, the maize-based meal is complemented by food produced from school gardens. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has enlisted the Directorate of Food Production from the Namibian Correctional Service to develop instant porridge for early childhood centers under an EU-funded project over the next three years.
Since the publication of the Namibian School Feeding Policy (2018-2023) and its corresponding Implementation plan, significant progress has been made in the management of the NSFP, including advancements in funding, decentralization of the programme, an increase in the number of beneficiaries, and the promotion of school gardens. Moreover, the programme has expanded to include early childhood centers. As of 2023, the DMPAT has initiated an evaluation process in preparation for the development of a new policy. Additionally, a new school health policy is awaiting Cabinet approval.
To support capacity development in schools, resource materials have been developed, including the Training of Trainers Manual on School Health. This manual, created in collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and UNICEF, includes a chapter on Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle.
To ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the NSFP, a School Feeding Information Management System (NaSIS), has been developed with financial support from the WFP. NaSIS is instrumental in tracking the number of students benefiting from the programme, overseeing proper delivery, storage, and other logistical aspects.
At the school level, health officials conduct inspections to monitor the safety and quality of the meals provided by the programme. According to the new School Health Policy, regular assessment of the nutritional status of schoolchildren should be conducted. The results from the Namibia School-Based Student Health Survey (2013) highlighted poor eating habits among schoolchildren, including high consumption of carbonated drinks, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, and concerns regarding hidden hunger. A new survey, scheduled for 2024 by the Ministry of Health, will further assess these issues.
Another key initiative in the country includes the piloting of a home-grown school feeding (HGSF) programme supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and the National Planning Commission. The HGSF programme is currently being piloted in 29 schools across seven regions of Namibia. Nutritionists from WFP are collaborating to design and implement culturally appropriate one week-menu cycles using local food produce.
As of 2023, this initiative has benefited 11 500 schoolchildren. Meals are prepared by voluntary cooks, primarily parents from the community. While menus may vary from region to region, they are designed to align with the National Dietary Guidelines for Namibia. Trainings for this programme has been conducted in four out of the seven regions, with the support from WFP staff and the University of Science and Technology.
Other foods available in Namibian schools are provided by tuck shops and other food vendors outside the schools. However, these vendors are not compelled to adhere to any nutritional guidelines or standards regarding what they can sell to schoolchildren.
School-Based Food and Nutrition Education
In Namibia, food and nutrition education is integrated into the national curriculum across various subjects. In senior primary (grades 4-7), it is covered under natural sciences and health education, while in grades 5-7, it is covered under home ecology and in junior (grades 7 and 8) and senior secondary (grades 10 and 11) in home economics. Additionally, food and nutrition topics are integrated in subjects such as environmental studies, life skills, physical education, life sciences, biology, and hospitality.
In junior primary, all subjects are mandatory, and this requirement continues into senior primary.
Beyond the curriculum, nutrition education activities are carried out through the health-promoting school’s initiative supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
| Main targets | • Pre-primary school • Primary school • Secondary School |
| Main educators | Teachers |
| Integration within the school curriculum | as part of one subject:
through extracurricular activities:
|
Development of the subject curricula integrating food and nutrition
The National Institute for Educational Development (NIED), a directorate within the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is responsible for developing the National Curriculum for Basic Education. Created following a national education conference in 2011, the curriculum represents a significant transformation in Namibia’s education system. Implemented in 2021, it builds on the foundations of the National Constitution and addresses recent societal changes in the country, aiming to support the achievement of Namibia’s Vision 2030. The development of the corresponding syllabuses is categorized into different age segments:
- Junior primary phase (from pre-primary to grade 3)
- Senior Primary phase (grades 4 to 7)
- Junior Secondary phase (grades 8 and 9)
- Senior Secondary phase (grades 10 to 12)
Major curriculum reviews occur every eight years, with minor reviews conducted in between. For instance, in 2014-2015, revisions were made to the pre-primary and grade 1 curricula to include aspects of digital safety. The syllabuses for natural sciences and health education, and home ecology were updated in 2023 and are expected to be implemented in 2024. The home economics syllabus for grades 8 and 9 was developed in 2015, while the syllabus for grades 10 and 11 was developed in 2018.
Implementation of subjects integrating food and nutrition
The NIED oversees curriculum implementation in Namibia. Teachers, as the main front-line educators, have the flexibility to choose the best teaching methods for the food and nutrition lessons, as there is no specific mandated learning modality.
In this page there is a detailed description of the topics and learning objectives for the main subjects where food and nutrition topics are integrated.
Extracurricular activities, such as sorting foods into main food groups, planning meals, calculating BMI, and engaging in group discussions about the importance of school meals are carried out as part of the Health Promoting Schools initiative.
Assessment of subjects integrating food and nutrition
The evaluation of natural sciences and health education, and home ecology subjects, focus on the assessment of student investigations and projects, as well as thematic tests, and end-of-term examinations.
For grades 8 and 9, home economics evaluation focuses on the assessment of specific tasks, research projects, and cooking skills, as well as thematic tests and end-of-year examinations featuring short answers and structured questions. The food and nutrition component constitutes 60% of the theory topics of home economics.
In grades 10 and 11, the evaluation for home economics comprises mostly written exams with short answer questions, structured questions, and essay questions, as well as coursework and a practical cooking exercise. The food and nutrition component accounts for 60% of the evaluation.