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PART SPORTS AND HEALTH

PART B ENRICHMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION

The school lunch program is being carried out with the goals of contributing to the healthy physical and mental development of school children, and improving the eating habits of the public. It has become an established part of school educational activities. As of May 1991, the number of pre-school and school children receiving school lunches had risen to 13,550,000.

(See Table 5)

2 Role of School Lunches

These days school lunches have become firmly established as an indispensable part of school educational activities. The Ministry has employed a number of policies for enriching school lunch programs over the years. In an effort to further improve the school lunch program, school lunch instruction is now defined as a classroom activity (special activity) according to the revised Courses of Study.

Furthermore, though it is recently said that public eating habits have improved on the average, many nutritional problems are pointed out such as an increase in the number of obese children and children with unbalanced diets. Also it has been pointed out that changes in family lifestyles accompanying changes in social circumstances are causing dietary problems related to basic living habits, such as an increase in the number of children who eat alone and who skip breakfast. Against this background, the actual lunch time can be used as "living subject matter" to promote proper eating habits and formation of good interpersonal relationships through eating together. The role of the school lunch program can be summarized as follows:

Table 5 Percent of School Lunches Served (Percent of school children being served)

School lunches are planned in order to provide palatability, a variety of food combinations and a good nutritional balance; they play an important role in building strength and maintaining and improving the health of growing school children. From the viewpoint of nutritional intake, school lunches hold an important place in a day's diet. In particular, school lunches are planned to provide 55% of the minimum daily required calcium and certain vitamins.

Another important role of the school lunch program is to cultivate attitudes and skills for daily living, such as helping school children understand what constitutes a nutritionally balanced and enjoyable meal. Acquiring the habit to watch for one's fat, sugar, salt, etc. intake especially can help in preventing a range of diseases in the future. It follows that in order for school children to live a fulfilled and healthy life, it has become even more important that they learn the fundamentals of proper eating and develop the necessary skills for self health maintenance. Children's participation in school lunches, in conjunction with their families, also plays a role in increasing their understanding of proper table manners.

Furthermore, due to irregular mealtimes and picky eating habits a number of school children with protein, calcium and iron deficiencies are being seen. There are also some students who in their desire to lose weight, go on extreme diets resulting in emaciation, menstrual irregularity, anemia and other symptoms. A very small percentage of students show tendencies of refusing to eat or overeating stemming from emotional anxieties, frustration or other psychological problems. It is thus necessary to teach school children the proper way of eating, to offer nutritionally well balanced school meals and to use menus as educational materials. Through these measures, significant results can be expected in solving the previously mentioned problems.

The lunch period not only plays a role in helping school children acquire proper eating habits through dining together, but also plays a significant role in fostering positive interpersonal relationships. It is a time for school children to interact among themselves and with their teachers. Lunch time is both an enriching experience for students and a chance for teachers to see children as they really are; an important time for deepening their understanding of each individual student.

The process of preparing, serving, eating and cleaning up after lunch with their own hands gives school children a valuable opportunity in real work experience. These kinds of cooperative activities help to build cooperation, a sense of service, a spirit of harmony and facilitate socialization.

Lunch time is also an opportunity to put into practice the knowledge children acquired from "homemaking", "social studies" and other subjects. There is thus an opportunity to make good use of the school lunch program and its related content to naturally further children's understanding of nutrition, as well as the fishing and farming industries, food processing, other industries related to production and processing of foodstuffs, the marketing and flow of foodstuffs and also cooking and consumption. It is furthermore expected that school children can develop a sense of gratitude for people working in food related occupations as well as an appreciation of nature through their own productive work in school agricultural gardens (growing food for their school lunches) and through teachers helping them realize the amount of hard work and sweat required of so many people before food arrives at the school lunch tables.

In addition, a rice-based school lunch was introduced in 1976, and recently special theme lunches, such as those based on traditional Japanese events, lunches using local or "hometown" specialty foods and lunches with various foreign dishes typical of sister cities or municipalities have been introduced. These activities have played a significant role in helping children better understand "hometown" and traditional Japanese eating customs as well as something about the foods of various foreign countries. They should also serve to help children learn various table manners and an understanding of both Japanese and foreign culture.

As prescribed by the School Lunch Law, school establishing bodies of compulsory education schools are responsible for actually carrying out school lunch programs, while the national and local governments must strive to promote the spread and healthy development of programs.

In terms of the necessary funding for school lunch programs, the law also stipulates that school establishing bodies are responsible for buildings, equipment and salaries, that parents or guardians of children should bear the cost of the foodstuffs and that the national government will provide necessary additional support for building and equipment for opening school lunch programs.

As a means of enriching the school lunch program, local "hometown" specialties and foods from sister cities etc. came to be served in school lunches. Various other innovative attempts are being carried out such as buffet style lunches where children can select their own menus, expanded menus, inviting local elderly citizens to school lunches, mixed grade lunches and parent/guardian-child lunches.

In order to provide advice for upgrading school lunch content, school lunch instruction, the "school lunch environment," management systems, etc., since 1973 the Ministry designated ten schools yearly for school lunch reform studies and carried out practical investigative research projects through these schools.

Annually since 1982, the National Association of School Nutritionists has been collecting school lunch menus from across the nation during School Lunch Week (January 24 to 30). These menus, which high1ight the local specialties of each area and unique meals, are then compiled and distributed to school nutritionists and others as a means to encourage the improvement of school lunch offerings nationwide.

The planned promotion of school lunches with rice began in 1976. This was carried out with the idea of diversifying the lunch menu and in consideration of the nutritional importance of helping children develop the correct eating habits for a rice-based meal. By 1991 the average weekly number of rice-based meals served at schools had grown to 2.6 times per week, with three times per week targeted as a goal for the future.

(See Table 6)

.

Table 6 Frequency of Serving Rice Meals (as of May 1991)

In an effort to promote the introduction of rice-based lunches, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries employs an incentive discount when selling rice to schools for use in school lunches. In 1992 the discount rate was 60% for schools newly introducing rice, 50% for schools serving rice based lunches three or more times a week and 45% for all other schools.

Building lunchrooms, providing attractive eating utensils and improving other aspects of the school lunch environment contribute to the formation of proper eating habits. In addition, sharing an enjoyable lunch in a pleasant atmosphere serves to promote good human relationships. As of May 1991, of those schools serving complete or supplementary meals, schools with lunchrooms had increased to 19.5% (elementary schools), and 9.0% (lower secondary schools).

(See Table 7)

. A number of special school lunch activities are being carried out at schools with lunchrooms such as mixed grade lunches, parent/child lunches, inviting members of the community for lunch, etc. The Ministry is promoting lunchroom improvements through providing financial support for construction and expansion of lunchrooms. Since 1988 the Ministry has also provided financial assistance for partial renovation of regular classrooms and other facilities for lunchroom use. In another related support project, since 1990, the Ministry has provided financial assistance to schools sharing a common preparation facility for the equipment necessary to keep different foods at their appropriate temperatures for serving at their school destination.

Table 7 Number of Schools With Lunchrooms

The Ministry has been instructing schools to provide utensils appropriate for use with different foods. Nowadays, chopsticks use has increased to over 90% of schools. Also there is a rise in the number of schools using locally produced wooden or porcelain utensils.

In further efforts to upgrade the previously mentioned school lunch environment, a committee within the National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan, the "Study Committee for Creating a Pleasant Dining Environment" is carrying out comprehensive studies towards improving lunchrooms and eating utensils and other measures for providing a pleasant dining environment.

The revised Courses of Study include the promotion of further improvements in teaching methods for health related education through schoo1 lunch instruction and further emphasis on the connection between school lunch related education and other subjects, etc. On the basis of these guidelines, the Ministry revised its "Handbook on School Lunch Instruction" in 1992 after an 8 year period. In revising the Handbook, the following four key points were taken into account in order to improve the content: 1) more diversity in school lunch menus 2) furthering reforms in the school lunch environment 3) need for increased individual guidance in order to cope with recent health problems of school children (such as the tendency towards obesity, food allergies, extreme dieting for the purpose of slimming down) 4) the need for more active participation by school nutritionists in school lunch instruction and other new arrangements in order to make school lunch instruction more effective.

In order for school children to develop basic living habits and proper eating habits, close cooperation is needed between the major sources of influence on children's lives, the home and the community. A "Project for Promoting Coordination between School, Family and the Community regarding School Lunches" was begun in 1983 and continues to successfully execute various tasks.

l) Funding for facilities, equipment and maintenance related to school lunches (Since 1950)

To promote the spread of school lunch programs the Ministry is providing financial support to school establishing bodies for necessary equipment and facilities for opening new school lunch programs or improving and enriching existing programs at compulsory education schools and at upper secondary schools having evening courses.

2) Financial assistance for needy children (whose parents/guardians are legally defined as financially disadvantaged or at an equivalent level of financial difficulty) (school lunch fees) (Since 1956)

The Ministry is subsidizing establishing bodies of public elementary and lower secondary schools having school lunch programs to provide school lunch fee assistance to financially disadvantaged parents/guardians. These parents/guardians are either those defined as financially disadvantaged by the Daily Life Protection Law but are not receiving educational aid (school lunch fee) or those having an equivalent degree of financial difficulty in paying school lunch fees.

3) Subsidies for the promotion of evening and correspondence courses at upper secondary schools (fees for evening meals) (Since 1961)

In order to help students attending evening courses at upper secondary schools) maintain their health and keep up with their studies, the Ministry is subsidizing a part of the funds necessary for purchasing foodstuff to the establishing bodies of schools offering evening meals

4) Assistance projects for modernizing the distribution of foodstuffs for school lunch programs (for the National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan) (Since 1989)

To encourage the modernization of the support system for school lunch programs, financial assistance is provided to the National Stadium and School Health Center of Japan for gathering and speeding up the procurement of information regarding school lunches and for conducting practical development projects such as hosting a variety of courses and lectures to improve the quality of school food service personnel and strengthening the food inspection system. The Ministry is also providing subsidies to the Center for purchasing foodstuffs (bread, rice or milk) to maintain school lunch programs in isolated areas.

5) Subsidies for school lunch foods

Assistance for rice, milk and other foodstuffs is being provided from the combined standpoint of national agricultural policy, promotion of dairy farming and enhancement and diversification of school lunch menus.

Through their work in school lunch programs, an important educational activity, school nutritionists bear a great responsibility in furthering health education of school children.

School nutritionists are experts having technical knowledge and skills related to nutrition and health. Their task is to foster the lifelong physical and mental health of school children by providing variety-rich school lunches. They are also required to actively participate in school-lunch instruction activities in cooperation with classroom teachers and others.

According to the School Lunch Law, the professional responsibilities of school nutritionists are defined as "being in charge of professional duties related to school lunch nutrition." Their specific duties are listed as follows: l) improving and enriching the nutritional balance of school lunches 2) creating rich and varied school lunch menus 3) developing school lunch menus as "living subject matter" 4) developing locally based school lunch menus 5) providing menus which offer a selection of foods to choose from 6) improving arrangements for sanitation and health 7) active participation in basic planning for school lunch programs 8) participation and cooperation in school lunch instruction 9) improving investigative studies regarding school lunches.

As can be seen from the above, the role of school nutritionists is both important and wide ranging. The Ministry, as described previously is promoting the systematic employment and placement of school nutritionists. As of May 1, 1993, the number of nutritionists reached approximately 10,000. The Ministry also plans to carry out practical research on the professional roles of school nutritionists working at large-scale joint school lunch preparation facilities and allocating additional numbers of school nutritionists at designated preparation facilities.

Also, because of the great importance placed on improving the quality of school nutritionists, training programs have been underway for newly appointed school nutritionists since 1990 and for mid-career school nutritionists since 1992.

The 5th Report of the Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform and the Provisional Council for the Promotion of Administrative Reform's Report, etc., stipulated the need for promoting the streamlining of operational management for school lunch programs and reducing personnel costs. Taking this into account, the Ministry is encouraging school establishing bodies to take appropriate measures for the rationalization of operational management of school lunch programs in line with local conditions. Such measures may include employing part-time help, creating joint preparation facilities, contracting preparation out to the private sector, etc. Furthermore, in order to insure that the quality of school lunches does not suffer during the process of rationalization, the Ministry is providing guidance to school establishing bodies to insure a system in which they can fully carry out their responsibilities.