School inspection for healthy eating needed

Pearse Doherty

ALL SCHOOLS should have healthy eating programmes, Sinn Féin senator Pearse Doherty said this week after it was revealed that although some have excellent initiatives in others they are non-existent. He called on the Education Minister to carry out an audit of school healthy eating programmes.
“The benefits of children eating healthily are indisputable. A better diet results in improved concentration and behaviour not to mention tackling childhood obesity. Nutritious food should be supplied in schools free of charge while harmful sugary food and drinks should be banned. We need to ensure that children receive their daily intake of necessary nutrients instead of gorging on sugar contributing to the Western world’s obesity time bomb.
Doherty said that there is an added problem in that a significant number of schools have inadequate or simply no sports facilities for physical education.
“The current scenario of schools having to divide their halls to cater for students as a result of this government’s abject failure to address class sizes is appalling.”