A salad bar in a Berwick school. - ContributedLindsay Corbin is coordinator, Nova Scotia advisory to the Coalition for Healthy School Food; Lisa Roberts is executive director, Nourish Nova Scotiainterim deputy minister of education told MLAs on the public accounts committee
Part of their work towards this includes consultations, which began with provinces and territories this summer and will be expanding to a series of roundtables starting next week. These exciting glimmers of a positive future for school food do not change the present-day reality in which the dedicated school food budget per student in Nova Scotia is less than $20 per year.
Hunger hinders learning. Nova Scotians have been reassured that children who come to school hungry will be fed, but we know, from research and experience, that older children will not self-identify as needing food. When we ensure universal access to food at school — like we have, albeit imperfectly, with breakfast — and aim for universal participation, we can also embrace all the other benefits of healthy school food. Students can learn food skills and gain volunteer experience. Having food available helps to make school a supportive, inclusive space which facilitates learning.