Parents of children starting school at C.J. Schurter School in the fall may be surprised to find that Schurter does not offer daily hot lunches, although volunteers occasionally provide options such as hot dogs, pizza or grilled cheese.
Those options are a welcome respite for children who otherwise rely on room-temperature sandwiches or other items. But pizza and hot dogs are also typically high in sodium and saturated fat.
Nutrition is especially important for young children, whose bodies and brains are developing rapidly. They need a steady supply of nutrients to support healthy growth, brain development, immunity and strong bones and muscles. Because they also have smaller appetites and stomachs, the nutritional quality of their food matters particularly, while early childhood is an important period for developing lifelong eating habits.
In places such as Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, school meals are treated as an important part of children’s nutrition from an early age.
Japan’s school lunches, for example, are designed around age-specific nutritional requirements and typically include a staple food, protein such as meat, fish or soybeans, and vegetables. The Japanese government considers school lunch both a means of supporting children’s development and an opportunity for nutrition education. South Korea and Taiwan likewise have established school-meal systems serving elementary students and, in many cases, kindergarten children.
That emphasis is particularly interesting alongside childhood obesity and educational outcomes. Statistics Canada reported obesity rates in 2022–24 of 8.5 per cent among girls aged 5–11 and 13.4 per cent among boys, rising to 8.8 per cent and 14.7 per cent among 12-to-17-year-olds.
Meanwhile, Japan substantially outperformed Canada and the United States in mathematics and science in the OECD’s 2022 PISA assessment, while Canada outperformed the United States in mathematics and reading.
None of this proves that school meals cause lower obesity or better academic performance; countries differ in countless other ways. But there is a reasonable argument that balanced, nutrient-rich meals provide children with the energy and nutrients needed for the physical activity, concentration and sustained attention expected during a school day.
Given the apparent space or funding constraints preventing Schurter from offering hot lunches, it would be helpful if there could even be refrigerators and microwaves for student use. The lack of these facilities leaves parents with few practical options for providing a nutritious, hot meal and makes reliance on processed foods more likely.
The Town of Slave Lake and education authorities should consider investing in a proper kitchen facility for Schurter. It would be more than an upgrade to the school. It would be an investment in the health, development and future of the town’s youngest residents.
William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader
