SCHOOLS — CANTEENS
100. Hon COLIN TINCKNELL to the Minister for Education and
Training:
(1) With rates of
obesity and tooth decay on the rise in school-aged children in Western Australia,
and with significant evidence that good
nutrition is essential to efficient learning in schools, does the Department of
Education, or any other government or
non-government organisation, have any oversight over what children are
consuming in our school canteens?
(2) Are any
government-approved guidelines in place for canteen operators to consult; and,
if so, who makes or approves these guidelines; and, if not, why not?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
Department of Education's healthy food and drink in public schools
policy and procedures require principals to
adopt a whole-school approach to healthy eating within the school community
that is informed by the national healthy school canteens guidelines and
the Australian dietary guidelines. Permission for an external provider to use a
school's premises as a canteen/food service is granted only on the
basis that the healthy food and drink in public schools policy and procedures
are implemented.
In
addition, the Federation of Canteens in Schools Inc is a not-for-profit charity
and peak body representing school canteens in Australia. The FOCIS
product registration program and nutrient criteria are based on the national
healthy school canteens guidelines and the Australian dietary guidelines.