The government of Quebec unveiled a plan of action so that the schools. public and private – offer a better food and more of physical activities to the pupils. The objective: to improve their state of health and, so, to encourage the school success.
The first measures of politicize this framework will be audible since January 2008: of the kindergarten to the secondary, French fries, sodas and coated products of panure will be excluded of food served to the pupils or offered in the automated distributors.
Her politicize-setting, elaborate by the ministry of the education, the Leisures and Sport and titled For a turn health in the school, also foresees about forty other measures.
The first challenged processes are the schools and the school committees. They should first draw up a balance of their respective situation. Then, they should establish some local plans of action to answer the clienteles that they go against specifically.
"We do not begin to zero, underlined Richard Leblanc, coordinator of the complementary services to the ministry of the education. Already, the two third of the French-speaking school committees have a local politics or are in way to have one of it . "
Minister Michelle Courchesne does not foresee however not to apply coercive measures for the schools that will not fit to politicize the setting-news. "There will not be state police of the food, but we ask for the yearly balances and, where there will be some difficulties, we will see what bit of help us will be able to give," she / it has indicated.
In 2009, a process of assessment will be put in place. Then, in 2011, the effects of the plan should be measured of more structured way.
To change the things in the school. and home
To put this in place politics, the government will pour 11 million of dollars annually besides at the schools. Three million will be destined to the sporty activities and facilities, and eight million to the food, of which 6.5 will serve to the replacement of the equipment of the food facilities in the schools. He / it will remain 1.5 million for the schools that will need need of services of experts, of the nutritionists, for example.
Her politicize-setting also challenges the parents who are the first persons responsible of their child’s food, one indicates. "Eighty percent of the meals eaten in the secondary schools come from the house", underlined Richard Leblanc.
The parents will receive cards of information that should help them to concoct of the meals and conferments more health for their children. There will also be an educational shutter in order to incite the young resort to the least often possible to the-minute restaurants and to nourishing food of weak value.
The townships have also been challenged, by Prime Minister Jean Charest himself: "The bullet is also in the camp of the townships that has an important role to play, among others to improve the food offer in the rinks and other sporty interior facilities, he / it has insisted.
Besides, Jean Charest invites the municipal processes to review their regulations of zoning, in order to avoid the construction of new restaurants-minutes on the outskirts of the schools. Not question however to displace the existing establishments.
A flat
The professional order of the Dietitians of Quebec (OPDQ) says to welcome "very favorably" the new politics. But he / it puts a flat as for the thinness of the envelope of 1.5 million of dollars destined to the services of appraisal.
"With 2 300 schools in Quebec, each will receive $ 700 on average annually THAT. That appears insufficient to us to modify food habits long-term. Besides, one does not know if these resources will continue in the time," affirm the spokeswoman of the OPDQ in this file, nutritionist Nathalie Jobin.
Of the more animate courses of school
With the three million intended to the sporty activities and facilities, the government wishes to make the move more schoolchildren, beyond the courses of physical activity already foreseen to the timetable. This money could be used, for example, to the setting up of new areas of game and to the acquirement of safe facilities for the courses of school.
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