The Delhi government has decided to introduce mini-snack breaks in all the city schools. The move is aimed at tackling malnutrition in children. The state's Directorate of Education (DoE) has already issued a circular in this regard, directing the schools to include a 10-minute break in the timetable.
"The mini-break should be 2.5 hours before the lunch break," the circular states. The schools have also been asked to prepare a weekly planner of snacks, offering three food choices every day which may include food items such as seasonal fruits, sprouts, salad, roasted chana, peanuts and so on, as per a report by PTI.
The planner will be displayed in each class. Suggested items should be cost-effective. Students must be advised to bring at least one food item mentioned in the weekly planner for the mini snack break. Heads of schools and home science faculty are to monitor the implementation of the planner during this break. In evening shift schools, mini snacks with low volume and high nutrition should be preferred in the weekly planner," the circular says further.
The DoE has additionally directed the schools to hold class-wise counselling sessions in consultation with home science teachers emphasising the relation between a healthy diet and its effect on performance in academics, attention span, physical activity, comprehension, and growth of children. The sessions should also focus on encouraging parents and guardians to make low-cost, high-nutritive value dishes as suggested by home science teachers at school, the DoE said.
"Class teachers [will] maintain a record of height and weight of each student enrolled in the class and update it regularly. This record must be correlated with general health as well as the presence of children in schools so that children at risk of malnutrition may be identified in time and parents may be informed accordingly," the circular says.
"Alternative dishes with high nutritive values may be introduced in the menu for mid-day meals. These strategies will also reduce the absenteeism of students in school owing to poor health conditions. It will also promote the overall health and development of the students," it added, as per PTI.