Parents participating in their children's school lunch program is easy, so why do so few schools manage to do it?

The school administration of Tan Son Nhi Primary School (Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City) closely monitors the school lunch program for its students - Photo: MG

As reported by Tuoi Tre Online : On the morning of October 18th, Tan Son Nhi Primary School in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, organized a school lunch program and invited parents to participate.

Many readers believe that it would be wonderful if all schools publicly disclosed their school lunch programs like Tan Son Nhi Primary School. Doing so would allow children to enjoy a nutritionally balanced diet while also receiving nutritional education .

According to Master's degree holder Tran Xuan Tien, personally observing the school lunch program for one's children will bring more benefits than drawbacks.

To offer an additional perspective, here is a sharing from Master's student Tran Xuan Tien.

Many benefits for all parties

Nutrition plays a crucial role in helping children stay healthy and develop comprehensively. Therefore, school lunch programs are always a matter of special concern for parents.

We can easily see the enormous benefits of allowing parents to directly observe their children's meals at school.

Being able to see their children's school lunch firsthand helps parents feel reassured and strengthens their trust in the school's commitment to food quality and safety.

Furthermore, this allows parents, if necessary, to participate in providing feedback and contributing ideas about the menu.

In addition, parents can also learn about how to build a nutritional plan, the process of preparing and cooking meals, and about healthy eating choices.

All of these elements foster connection, interaction, sharing, and build trust between the school and parents.

School lunch programs also aim to provide children with a nutritionally balanced diet while educating them about nutrition.

Can we spread this into a movement?

Reading the comments on Tuoi Tre Online about this model, most opinions express a desire to replicate the Tan Son Nhi Primary School model throughout the city. As an educator myself, I also strongly support this proposal.

It can be said that schools that successfully implement the model of "schools inviting parents to observe school lunches firsthand" can become role models for other educational institutions. This spread will contribute to creating a broader movement for school nutrition.

To implement this model effectively, we need to clearly understand that this is an activity aimed at building trust with parents based on reality, not a formality or simply to alleviate their anxieties.

We must act with professional responsibility and the conscience of an educator.

Schools can begin piloting this activity to introduce parents to the menu, food sources, and food processing procedures that ensure food safety and hygiene.

In addition to informing parents, schools should create excitement by sharing images and videos in school newsletters or on the school's social media pages.

More professionally, sharing experiences in organizing school lunch programs through workshops, conferences, and seminars also helps inspire schools.

To improve effectiveness, schools also need to encourage parents to increase their participation and provide feedback after attending the "on-site observation" event of school lunches.

Parents' feedback, based on their experiences with this activity at their children's schools, will be valuable contributions to the schools and inspire other parents.

The school needs to receive feedback with an open mind, in order to evaluate the effectiveness and improve the school lunch program. If there are any issues that need to be addressed, the school should also respond promptly and clearly to parents to create mutual consensus.

In my opinion, replicating this model isn't actually difficult; the important thing is whether schools want to implement it or not!

Consider privacy and ensure that it does not disturb the child.

The model of "schools inviting parents to observe school lunch meals firsthand" needs to be disseminated and replicated because of the positive benefits it brings to all stakeholders, contributing to strengthening the connection between parents, teachers, and schools.

However, when inviting parents to observe the school lunch program, it is necessary to consider privacy and ensure that it does not disrupt the children's learning and eating activities, avoiding any negative impacts on the children during mealtimes.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phu-huynh-dong-hanh-with-bua-an-ban-tru-cua-con-de-ma-sao-it-truong-lam-duoc-20241019134123697.htm