NASUWT: Junk food ban might bring bureaucratic burdens

Friday, 19, May 2006 12:00

Teaching union NASUWT has welcomed today's announcement on school meals but warned it might bring an increase in bureaucratic burdens.

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) says schools must remove junk food from their menus, and ensure pupils are offered at least two portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

General secretary Chris Keates said the decision to implement the school food trust's recommendations in full made "a valuable contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of youngsters".

"There is a demonstrable link between good nutrition and good academic standards and poor diet and poor behaviour," she said.

But Ms Keates warned the union “does have concerns about the potential for increased bureaucratic burdens on schools and additional workload for headteachers".

“In addition, the implications of using Ofsted to inspect the standards are as yet unclear but experience shows there is rarely good news for schools when Ofsted is involved,” she added.