School nutrition policy won't immediately affect fundraisers, special events

Schools in New Brunswick have the all-clear for now to continue to sell food and beverages with low nutritional value for fundraisers and special events such asathletic events, the Anglophone East school superintendent says.

After the province's all-healthy nutrition policy raised concerns last week, the deputy minister of education sent a memo to school superintendents saying the coming months will be a transition period for schools to ask questions and learn how best to adhere to the new rules.

"The spirit of the policy is not to eradicate the rare special occasions where students bring food from home to share with their friends, or when special activities are planned with parents to celebrate important events and holidays," the memo from John McLaughlin says.

This is different from Policy 711, whichcame out earlier this summer and said: "The sale of foods and beverages with lower nutritional value in fundraising activities organized by, through or for schools/students is not permitted."

The policy doesn't leave much room for interpretation, but GreggIngersoll, the superintendent of the Anglophone East School District, said the memo asks that it be applied with"professional judgment."

Ingersollsaid he believes the department realized a period of dialogue is needed before the new school nutrition policy is implemented.

"We all want our children to be eating healthy," he said. "However, there are events, food is a big part of the traditions that we have in New Brunswick.

"When we celebrate we eat, it doesn't matter if you are with your family or at school."

The line in the policy prohibiting the sale of unhealthy food in school fundraising activities left a lot of groups in the lurch. Plans for fall fundraisers had already been made in June, and in some cases money had already been committed.

Ingersollsaid he feels the vision of the school nutrition policy needs to be balanced with the reality in the schools.

For example, he said, a lot of his district's school breakfast programs are donated by local businesses, and not all the food donated meets the new requirements.

"So the question is do you stop having breakfast programs because you can't get enough food, or does the fact that children are coming to school hungry outweigh the fact that the policy says you have to have certain things?"

In the meantime, Ingersoll said, superintendents have been told that schools are allowed to continue what they are doing as the dialogue between schools, administration, government and parents takes place.

"It's always better to do that kind of dialogue before you implement a policy."