The Kejriwal Government in Delhi has made holistic development of every child a top priority, with particular focus on their physical and mental well-being. As part of this effort, the government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) will be hosting a mega camp for counselling parents to address the issue of malnutrition among children studying in Delhi government schools.
The event, which is scheduled for May 6, 2023, is aimed at addressing the issue of malnutrition among Delhi government school students identified under the “red zone”. The camp will provide parents with essential information on nutrition and healthy eating habits to ensure their children receive a balanced and nutritious diet.
While speaking about the upcoming mega camp, Education Minister Ms. Atishi said, “Along with providing quality education to every child studying in Delhi government schools, the Kejriwal government is consistently taking steps to ensure the good health of children. This mega camp will provide awareness to parents on healthy eating habits and their link to academic performance, physical activity and growth of the child.”
She added that the Kejriwal government has been making several interventions to overcome malnutrition among children studying in Delhi government schools. One such intervention introduced recently was the “Mini Snack Break”. The pre-lunch break, scheduled 2.5 hours before the designated lunchtime, encourages children to consume nutritious foods. The schools have incorporated these healthy food options into their weekly planner to motivate children to make healthy food choices.
In the mega camp, parents will be given guidance on low-cost high-nutritive value dishes by the teachers and will also be motivated to continue practicing the mini snack break even during the summer vacation.
It is to be noted that in December 2022, the DoE had directed all schools to prepare a weekly planner for nutritious food for children, in consultation with nutrition experts and teachers. Additionally, the schools were instructed to host class-wise counselling sessions for parents on the topic of malnutrition.
