NUTRITION POLICY OF AVOCA PRIMARY SCHOOL LEGISLATIVE MANDATES 1. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996. 2. The South African Schools Act 3. National School Nutrition Programme: Draft Policy May 2013 BACKGROUND The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), previously known as Primary school Nutrition programme (PSNP) was introduced in 1994 as one of the presidential lead projects of the reconstruction and development programme. The programme was introduced as strategy to alleviate poverty. Poverty, under nutrition, household food insecurity problems are co-related and their casualties overlap. Under-nutrition is caused by inadequate food intake, which can be caused by poverty and household food insecurity. The poverty statistics by the World Bank, 1996, indicated that KwaZulu Natal has a poverty level of 26%. 53% of the population in the Province is poor (Census 1996). Studies by the food agriculture organisation (FAO), UNESCO and the world health organisation (WHO) indicate that hunger impacts negatively on the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDG s), namely universal primary education, gender equality, child survival, material health, management of HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria and environmental stability. Given the high incidence and severity of poverty in our area, hunger is a real problem affecting millions of children from poor households. HIV and AIDS have a negative impact on children leaving them vulnerable to household food insecurity. Many factors contribute to poor performance amongst school learners. These include long distances they have to walk/travel to school, extra chores they have to perform before going to school, meal patterns at home and a lack of family time resources to provide food adequate quality and quantity home. Children, who come to school hungry, have diminished attentiveness, a greater likelihood of becoming distracted and a diminished interest in learning. The result is that learners become vulnerable to failure, low achievement and repetition.
NSNP aims to contribute to the improvement of education quality and general health by: 1. Feeding needy learners in our school. 2. Enhancing learning active capacity. 3. Enhancing nutrition education through curriculum and improving nutritional knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and healthy eating amongst school learners, their parents and educators. 4. Alleviating short term hunger. 5. Improve school attendance and punctuality. 6. Addressing micronutrient deficiencies through the establishment of sustainable food production and, the implementation of school gardens. As the government and poverty alleviation programme, NSNP further aims to enhance economic development initiatives for the poor communities. These include amongst others; contributing to job creation for the poor local communities who were previously disadvantaged. In keeping with the principles of access, equity, redress and protection against unfair discrimination or malpractices, this policy document shall serve a watchdog. Purpose The purpose of this policy is to regulate, control and administer the implementation of the National School Nutrition Programme and the School Nutrition Programme at our school in order to: a) Deliver quality nutritious food to learners in our school. b) Strengthen learner achievement through provision of quality nutritious food. c) Ensure the smooth run of the SNSP programme in our school. d) Ensure that food sold to our learners is clean, hygiene and free from drugs at all times. e) Bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots to promote the spirit of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in our Constitution. FEEDING The school will ensure that all needy learners in the school are fed through the NSNP. The school is at liberty to have other poverty alleviation programmes where needy learners will identified and benefit from such programmes. Other poverty alleviation programmes which provide cooked food to learners should be administered using this policy to ensure strict adherence to health and hygiene guidelines as provided for in this policy.
Poverty alleviation programmes which provide uncooked food hampers to learners should also be administered using this policy to ensure safe, healthy and hygienic service delivery. FEEDING TIME Learners should be fed by 10h00 in line with the grant framework. Learners should be fed in strict adherence to menu that is prescribed by KZN-DOE. The NSP educators should be elected appointed yearly. The NSP educators would be responsible for: a. Ensuring that food items supplied is in correct packaging and carry labels outlining expiry dates, preparation methods and storage instructions. b. That the food supplied by a service provider is of good quality at all times. c. Vegetables and fruits supplied are fresh. d. Food items delivered is of sufficient quantities. If the food items delivered is of insufficient quantity to inform the principal immediately. e. Food delivered is raw and uncooked. f. Check the food items delivered against the purchase order note. All the food items delivered is recorded (by the clerk) and entered into the school s stock control sheet. Perishable items shall be strictly delivered on weekly basis whilst non-perishable items delivered on weekly monthly basis possible with the service provider. The school to agree with the service provider of the times of delivery FOOD STORAGE AND FEEDING ENVIRONMENT The NSP educator to ensure that all food items to delivered school are kept in a safe, proper and healthy environment. NSP food items to be stocked in a ventilated stock room together with the other food eating utensils. FOOD PREPARATION ENVIRONMENT Volunteer food handlers to wear clean protective clothing with hair completely covered at all times when preparing or dishing the meals
VFH who is ill with diarrhea, vomiting and colds to be excused from their duties until they are well. Food should be prepared in a covered area free from dust and wind, clean and free from pests. FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE The food that learners eat should always be clean and safe for consumption to avoid food poisoning. Where food poisoning is suspected the food item to be avoided or excluded. A sample of the meal consumed shall be taken to the environmental health section of the Department health section of the Department of health analysis. Learners shall be referred to the clinic or hospital for proper medical checkup and care. The school shall report food poisoning incident to the district office with immediate effect. GAS SAFETY Installation of gas stores shall be in accordance with the approval standards by the HPGSA. A school to request a certificate of compliance from the service provider upon installation. Proper care and safety measures should be adhered to at all times when using gas for cooking. The SGB and SMT shall ensure that reasonable care and precautions are taken into consideration to prevent medico legal hazards. Gas stores shall always be used in well-ventilated areas. SCHOOL VENDORS AND TUCK SHOP The school should have the school based dietary guidelines as the basis for translating information to learners. The SGB to have a database of all individuals selling food items to learners in and around the school premises. Written vending policy of a school to be displayed in the principal s office and enforced by the SMT and school nutrition committee and educators responsible for NSP at school. The NSP committee to ensure that legal drugs and any other addicted substances are not sold to learners. Each vendor and tuck shop owner to sign an agreement in compliance with the school vending policy.
The SGB and SMT to terminate the services of the vendor who does not comply with vending policy. VOLUNTEER FOOD HANDLERS (VFHS) The SGB and the principal would identify and select amongst the unemployed people who reside within the community, suitable person(s) who would work as volunteer food handler(s) (VFHS). The SGB to ensure that VFH(S) are the parents of learners who are currently enrolled at the school. The VFHS to enter into the standard terms of agreement (contract) with the SGB for one financial year period. Parents to be rotated at the end of each financial in order to allow equal opportunity. The number of VFH(S) to be appointed will be determined by the enrolment. NSP to identify needy learners if the school is quintile 4 or 5 who qualify to benefit from the programme, the enrolment in each year (the ratio 1:200 will be applied if the quintile ranking is 1, 2 and 3. Should the quintile ranking change to 4 and 5 the ratio shade be fixed at one VFH irrespective of enrolment. The rest of the vendors to be paid by the SGB. VFHS shall be expected to perform only those duties related to the preparation of food for the learners in NSNP. The SGB parent members who shall have an interest in working as VFHS shall upon appointed be expected to surrender their positions as SGB members, and shall be excused from the process of identifying and selecting suitable volunteer food handlers. Each VFH shall upon appointed be required to furnish the school with the copy of her/his South African Identity document or a stamped and signed letter from the local inkosi/ induna/ ward counselor attesting that VHF is true resident of the area of jurisdiction. Each appointed VFH shall be entitled to a stipulated monthly stipend that as determined by the Grant Framework. The SGB and the principal shall be expected to ensure that VFHS are equipped in basic food preparation skills by attending VFH is trainings organized by the KZN-DOE and the national Department. Renewal of the volunteer food handler s contract shall be considered at the discretion of the SGB and the principal where there is sufficient proof that there was contestation of the position thereof.
The SGB and school principal shall not be allowed to unfairly terminate the volunteer food handlers contract prior it expiry date. However, in cases of malpractice, persistence negligence and failure to perform any of the duties as stipulated in the duty list The SGB and the principal shall on availability of sufficient evidence against the volunteer food handler; offer two verbal warnings and one written warning. Where volunteer food handler willingly wishes to terminate her/his contract with the school for whatever reasons she/he shall at least give the school 24 hours notice of termination and the VFH shall be entitled to a full stipend provided that he/she has serviced the full feeding month. Where the volunteer food handler has not served the full month in respect of the above, she/he shall be paid a stipend based on the number of days served at the school for the month in which she/he terminated the contract. The principal as the accounting officer of the school shall manage and account for proper keeping of financial records pertaining to the SNSP. The principal shall manage and account for proper implementation of the programme. The principal and the SGB should facilitate the formation of school nutrition committee and ensure that the school submits monthly statistical reports and other NSNP reports to the district office. Maintain an asset register, including cooking equipment and eating utensils of the school. The NSP committee to hold monthly meeting and reports to the school principal and the SGB about challenges and progress in the feeding programme. The school nutrition or NSNP committee composed of the following 1. 2 SGB members 2. 1 Volunteer food handler 3. 2 Contact educators 4. 1 SMT member All form educators to supervise learners during feeding time in the class or dining rooms and to ensure that utensils for his or her class ate kept in a safe place. Learners to cooperate by participating in feeding and provide feedback through their educator on the palatability tastiness of meals served to them. The parents and community to cooperate by playing an oversight role harder to ensure the smooth run of the programme. The school to ensure that the following documents namely: EF 73 proof of payment of volunteer food handlers (Annexure E) form, summary of feeding register for the month
(Annexure F2) forms, completed stock control sheet for the month (Annexure G) form and route form (Annexure I) submitted to the district officer together with service provider claim for payment in each month.