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The Department of Health (DH) is pleased to see an increasing number of schools actively promoting and practising healthy eating. Since the launch of the EatSmart School Accreditation Scheme (ESAS) in 2009-10, a total of 196 primary schools have enrolled in the scheme, with 67 achieving accreditation status.
The above remarks were made by the Controller of the DH's Centre for Health Protection, Dr Thomas Tsang, in the EatSmart School Accreditation Ceremony cum Principal Summit for Primary Schools 2012 today (June 29).
Officiating at the ceremony, Dr Tsang said that the DH has been striving to improve the health of the community, in particular addressing the problem of childhood obesity to reduce children's risk of developing non-communicable diseases. The ESAS is part of the department's continuous efforts to promote healthy eating in schools.
Research nowadays confirms that overweight children are more likely to stay overweight or obese when they reach adulthood. As evidence is clear that adult obesity is associated with many chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer, public health measures aiming at control of childhood obesity have become imperative.
While noting that a total of 196 primary schools have enrolled in the ESAS, Dr Tsang pointed out that the figure accounts for nearly one-third of all primary schools in Hong Kong. Among them, 67 schools have attained accreditation, representing about 35 per cent of those enrolled.
"The scheme has been well received and recognised by the school sector with encouraging results," he remarked.
According to the accreditation criteria of the ESAS, schools have to demonstrate commitment in continuously implementing administrative measures, providing healthy lunches and snacks, and carrying out education and publicity measures to safeguard a nutritionally friendly school environment for children. Hence, all accredited schools are exemplars of the school sector.
Dr Tsang expressed gratitude to all participating schools and the Education Bureau (EDB) for their support and contribution in providing a learning environment that helps schoolchildren get into the habit of healthy eating.
Also officiating at the Accreditation Ceremony was Principal Education Officer of the EDB's Curriculum Development Institute, Mr Tam Koon-che. He said that other than promoting schools to participate in the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign, in the course of setting the Learning Goals of the school curriculum the Education Bureau has already incorporated "Developing a Healthy Lifestyle" as one of its Seven Learning Goals, with a renewed vigour to motivate students to achieve the goal. In the school curriculum, Physical Education and General Studies have promotions in place. For instance, the "Health and Living" strand of the General Studies curriculum at the primary level helps students acquire knowledge and develop skills as well as positive attitudes and values related to healthy eating. Apart from this, schools can also make use of the school-based curriculum and various learning strategies, such as class teacher periods, Moral and Civil Education and Life-wide Learning activities, to spread the concepts and skills of self-management and effective physical exercise so as to further help students develop a healthy lifestyle in the light of promoting whole-person development.
The Accreditation Ceremony was followed by the Principal Summit for Primary Schools 2012, which provided a platform for schools to share views and exchange experience in promoting healthy eating in schools in the short and medium terms.
The theme of the summit this year was "Heart Matters". About 200 representatives from the school sector, along with Professor Alice Kong (Councillor of the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity) from the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr Sandra Tsang from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong, representatives from the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, primary school principals' associations and officials from the DH and the EDB participated in the panel discussion to exchange views on the intricate relationship between child psychology, eating behaviour, obesity and heart health.
More information on the ESAS is available at the DH's thematic website of the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign (school.eatsmart.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, June 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:06
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