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Tie-ups with the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNESCO for the provision of health education through the medium of school lunch programs, etc.
| 1. |
Survey of Japan's school lunch situation by the WFP and UNESCO
| (1) |
Duration of visit: March 12 (Tuesday) through 15 (Friday), 2002 |
| (2) |
Members of party: Five members associated with the WFP, including Ms. Arlene Mitchell (Chief, School Feeding Support Unit, Strategy and Policy Division), and two members associated with UNESCO |
| (3) |
Main features of visit: In addition to an exchange of views with senior MEXT officials, the party visited a number of schools and communal kitchens in Tokyo and Fukushima Prefecture, tried a school lunch for themselves, and exchanged views with various board of education. The WFP members subsequently expressed themselves most impressed with the way in which:
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the school lunch system, restarted with overseas aid in the wake of the Second World War, had taken root in Japan as an independently managed system; |
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in accordance with the provisions of the School Lunch Law, school lunch had been made an integral part of the Japanese education system with the result that the provision of school lunch has been undertaken with due attention to a variety of educational considerations (including nutrition-related education, the improvement of eating habits, etc.) ; and |
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school lunch guidance has paid careful attention to safety and hygiene. |
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| 2. |
Joint study visit by MEXT, WFP, UNESCO
| (1) |
Duration of study: May 22 (Wednesday) through 31 (Friday), 2002 |
| (2) |
Members of group: Associate Professor Naomi Kasai (Niigata University Faculty of Education and Human Science; Specialty: School health) and two school lunch officials from the School Health Education Division of MEXT's Sports and Youth Bureau |
| (3) |
Purpose of study: To visit schools in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Cambodia in order to ascertain how best Japan's knowledge and experience in the fields of school lunch provision and school health might be utilized in arranging the sorts of tie-ups and programs of cooperation that would meet these countries' particular needs. |
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MEXT is planning to continue to work with the WFP and UNESCO on the following projects
| 1. |
Workshop on comprehensive school health and nutrition
| (1) |
Venue: Thailand (Bangkok) |
| (2) |
Dates: Fiscal 2002 (November-December) |
| (3) |
Presenters: 2 or 3 presenters (MEXT, scholars, etc.) |
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| 2. |
Study visit by representatives of participating countries to observe the Japanese school lunch programmes
| (1) |
Venue: Japan (field study in cities, towns, and villages throughout Japan) |
| (2) |
Dates: Fiscal 2002 (October-March) |
| (3) |
Participants: 2 or 3 people (Representatives of the health and education sectors of Asia and the pacific region) |
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The same ministry staff are also planning to give lectures at a school lunch service workshop to be held in Beijing in response to a request from the Chinese government to learn from Japan's success in this area. |
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