ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The book-"School Lunch Programme : Organisation and outcomes" was first published in the year 1966 by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. During the past 14 years, the school lunch programme has developed vastly, and considerable information has accumulated through research. Hence the first edition of the book has been completely recasted incorporating recent knowledge.
The author is grateful to the Government of India, Ministry of Education for coming forward to publish the revised book, particularly to Sri S. Sathyam, I.A.S., Joint Secretary for his valuable help.
The author is thankful to Sri T. S. Avinashilingam, Founder- President, Sri Avinashilingam Home Science College for his sustained enthusiasm in the programme, constructive suggestions and foreword.
The responses from the officials in-charge of the programme from different state governments who have furnished information on the operation of the school lunch programme in their respective states is thankfully acknowledged.
To several others, the author is thankful particularly to Smt. S. Premakumari, M. Sc., M. Phil., Dip. Ed., Professor of Nutrition for her commitment to the programme and meticulous help in preparing this manuscript, Dr. Usha Chandrasekhar, M.Sc. (Madras). Ph.D. (Purdue), Professor of Nutrition for her involvement in the campus school lunch programme and research and Smt. C. Yegammai, M.Sc., Asst. Professor of Nutrition for her help in compiling the data.
COIMBATORE-641043 RAJAMMAL P. DEVADAS
CONTENTS
PAGES
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
CHAPTERS
I. Introduction 1-4
II. Importance of good nutrition and the
supply of nutrients from foods 5-7
III. Common deficiency diseases in childhood 8-12
IV. Need for intervention programmes for school-
going children 13-14
V. Objectives of the lunch programme in the
primary school 15-16
VI. School lunch programme in India 17-29
VII. School lunch programme in other countries 30-47
VIII.Origin and growth of school lunch
programme in Tamil Nadu 48-51
IX. Role of central kitchens in school lunch
programme 52-54
X. Organisation of the school lunch programme 55-76
XI. Requirements for successful operation of the
school lunch programme 77-82
XII. Methods of teaching nutrition to children 83-97
XIII.The impact of the school lunch programme
on the all round development of children 98-111
XIV. Measures to minimise the food expenditure
for school lunch programme 112-113
XV. Role of parents and teachers in the
conduct of the school lunch programme 114-116
XVI. Problems in implementing the school lunch
programme 117-119
XVII.Summary 120
(V)
LIST OF TABLES
PAGES
I. Nutrients supplied by different categories of foods
commonly consumed 6
II. Deficiencies resulting from inadequacies in calories
and nutrients 8
III. Summary of school meals statistics (England) from a
census taken on a day in autumn, spring and summer
terms in 1977-78 34
IV. Equipment needed for a school lunch programme, for
100 children 59
V. Nutritive value of commonly used cereals (100g) 63
VI. School lunch menu 64
VII. Quantities and cost of foods included in the school
lunch under the Tamil Nadu Midday Meal Scheme 65
VIII.Nutritive value of the school menus (When rice and
soy fortified bulgar are used on alternate days) 66
IX. Cost of a meal when different cereal substitutes are
included in place of soy fortified bulgar/Balahar 67
X. Quantity of foods purchased per month for 100 children 68
XI. Daily food allowances for the children of 4 to 12 years
age (ICMR, 1981) 78
XII. Daily nutritional allowances for the children of 4 to
12 years age. (ICMR, 1981) 79
XIII.Mean six monthly heights and weights of children
over a period of five years 100
XIV. Mean blood hemoglobin levels of children after
different periods of participation 101
XV Clinical picture of children participating and not
participating in the school lunch programme 102
XVI. Nutritional knowledge of parents of school lunch and
and non-school lunch children 103
XVII.Changes in habits as observed by the parents
due to the participation of the children in the
school lunch programme 105
XVIII.Price levels of foods supplying same amount of
nutrients 112
(vi)
LIST OF FIGURES
PAGES
1. Child suffering from marasmus 9
2. Child suffering from marasmic kwashiorkor 10
3. Eye with Bitot's spot 11
4. School lunch kitchen and store room 56
5. Plan of school lunch kitchen at Sri Avinashilingam
Primary School 57
6. Class room used as a dining hall 58
7. Wash place for children 58
8. A school lunch plate 66
9. Children helping in serving 70
10. Measurement of weight 72
11. Measurement of height 73
12. Children engaged in class room cleanliness before
lunch 75
13. Flannel graph 86
14. Puppet show 87
15. Exhibition as a tool for nutrition education 87
16. Demonstration of preparation of a high protein food 88
17. Children at animal experiment 89
18. Nutrition education through folk method 91
19. Nutrition education through dramatisation 91
20. Education through school garden 94
21. Field trip to poultry farm 95
22. Increase in heights of children over a period of five
years 99
23. Increase in weights of children over a period of
five years 101
(vii)
LIST OF APPENDICES
PAGES
A. Rules and regulations of the Madras Government
regarding the Midday Meals Scheme to the poor
pupils 121-125
B. Recipes for low cost school lunch menus 126-133
C. School lunch programme observation schedule 134-136
D. Schedule for clinical assessment 137
E. Schedule for dietary survey of families 138
F. Notes of lessons for the integrated curriculum 139-149
G. Observation schedule to evaluate the various
aspects of the school lunch programme 150-151
H. Proforma to elicit information on the behaviour
pattern of the children 152-153
(viii)