Principal Secretary, School Education Department, Praveen Prakash said that the focus of the government is on increasing enrolment in State-run schools and capacity-building among students.
Addressing a workshop on ‘Jagananna Gorumudda-Food Literacy’ organised by the Midday Meal wing of the School Education Department in collaboration with Food Future Foundation, here on Friday, Mr. Prakash said that in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) that demands health and wellness education to be part of the school curriculum, the State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Food Future Foundation to include ‘food literacy’ as a subject in the curriculum.
Mr. Prakash said that food literacy fosters sustainable food choices by raising awareness about the environmental impact of food production and consumption. “By promoting organic farming, local sourcing and reducing food wastage, food literacy facilitates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting responsible consumption and production patterns,” he said.
Highlighting that 40 lakh students in the State-run schools of Andhra Pradesh were served nutritious food for ₹2,000 crore per annum, along with supplements like peanut jaggery, boiled eggs and ragi jawa, he elaborated on the day-wise nutrient distribution and quality check of the menu using an Artificial Intelligence tool.
Food Future Foundation CEO Pawan Agarwal said that food literacy was crucial in helping students learn about nutrition and food systems. Representatives of the organisation also explained the possibilities of food literacy education for students, training of teachers and other key aspects of the partnership.
Director of the Midday Meal scheme S.S. Shobhika, and officials from the School Education, Social Welfare, Women and Child Welfare and Health, Medical and Family Welfare departments, besides teachers and students were present at the event.
