Eat Safely and Happily! … Gyeongnam Office of Education Announces 2022 School Meal Basic Plan

Providing Vegetarian Meals Once a Month, Stabilizing Kindergarten Lunches

Establishing Meals Linked to Character, Culture, and Emotional Education

Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education held a training session on the basic plan for school (kindergarten) meals for this year on the 16th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education announced the ‘2022 School and Kindergarten Meal Basic Plan’ on the 16th to provide high-quality and safe meals.

The meal basic plan was prepared by actively reflecting the revised laws and regulations of the Ministry of Education and the opinions of school field members.

The meal basic plan consists of three main tasks: operating high-quality school meals, providing safer school meals, and strengthening nutrition and dietary education, along with 22 detailed tasks.

This year, the Gyeongnam Office of Education plans to provide a vegetarian menu including plant-based foods, eggs, dairy products, and fish at least once a month through the ‘Dachaerop Day’ prepared to respond to the climate crisis and promote health.

They will develop and distribute teaching and learning content linked to curriculum and creative experiential activities, and form a consensus within the educational community through training and promotion to improve awareness of vegetarian meals.

To spread happy meals that are eaten, enjoyed, and learned from, they will provide experiential menus and educational materials centered on stories every month, such as ‘Chukhabapsang’ linked to character education, ‘Durubapsang’ linked to intercultural education, ‘Daybapsang’ linked to occasion education, and ‘Gamseongbapsang’ linked to emotional education.

Following the amendment of the School Meal Act last year, which made public kindergartens and private kindergartens with more than 100 children subject to the law, the Gyeongnam Office of Education took steps to systematize and stabilize kindergarten meals.

To reduce the meal cost burden on kindergarten parents, they support food and operating expenses, conduct hygiene and safety inspections twice a year and food poisoning prevention consultations for kindergartens subject to the School Meal Act, and strengthen the rapid reporting and response system for food poisoning.

They provide hygiene education to kindergarten meal-related personnel such as principals and nutrition teachers, and operate nutrition and dietary education, guidance on picky eating or obesity in young children, and nutrition counseling programs.

Kim Soonhee, Director of the Education Welfare Division, said, “We will do our best to provide safe and high-quality meals so that all children can eat happily.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.