1.7 Why focus efforts through schools?
Schools provide the most effective and efficient way to reach large portions of the
population, including young people, school personnel, families and community members.
Students can be reached at influential stages in their lives, during childhood and adolescence
(2;6) when lifelong nutritional patterns are formed. Children at every successive year from the
earliest grade through secondary school can be addressed. Schools have been given the mandate
and responsibility to enhance all aspects of development and maturation of children and youth
under qualified guidance.
Furthermore, schools also provide a setting to introduce nutrition information and
technologies to the community and can lead the community in advocating policies and services
that promote good nutrition (3). No other setting than schools offers these opportunities on as
equal a basis.