FOOD FOR EDUCATION, SCHOOL REFORM AND FOOD SECURITY: Making the Connections Beryl Levinger Education Development Center and Monterey Institute of International

FOOD FOR EDUCATION, FOOD FOR EDUCATION, SCHOOL REFORM AND SCHOOL REFORM AND FOOD SECURITY:FOOD SECURITY:Making the ConnectionsMaking the Connections

Beryl Levinger

Education Development Center and Monterey Institute of International Studies

Coming Attractions: Four Main Coming Attractions: Four Main IdeasIdeas• The universalization of primary school is a The universalization of primary school is a

prerequisite for food securityprerequisite for food security

• Food for education boosts primary school Food for education boosts primary school participation and, hence, food securityparticipation and, hence, food security

• The effects of primary school education on food The effects of primary school education on food security are greatest wherever “quality standards” security are greatest wherever “quality standards” are met; however, important effects are present are met; however, important effects are present even when educational quality is modesteven when educational quality is modest

• Efforts to improve primary education participation Efforts to improve primary education participation (demand) and efforts to improve primary education (demand) and efforts to improve primary education quality (supply) are highly interrelated and quality (supply) are highly interrelated and mutually reinforcing; both can be influenced by FFEmutually reinforcing; both can be influenced by FFE

A Cycle of Mutual A Cycle of Mutual ReinforcementReinforcement

Fo o d S e cu rity

S ch o o lQ u a lity

S ch o o lC o v e ra g e

Fo o d fo rEdu ca t io n

Food security=Food security=

Uti l i z ation ofA cce s s to A vai labi l i ty of

FO O D

SCHOOLING

Attitudes &Knowledge Related

to ConsumptionChoices

***Includes FactorsRelated to Diet, Nutrition, Value,

Calculation ofPurchase Cost/

Unit

AccessAccess== Individuals have cash or in-kind Individuals have cash or in-kind resources to obtain enough food to meet resources to obtain enough food to meet dietary and nutritional requirementsdietary and nutritional requirements

SCHOOLING


Knowledge,Skills & Attitudes

Favorable to Wage Sector Employment

& Enhanced LivelihoodThrough

Informal Sector Channels

***$ to buy food

SCHOOLING


Attitudes Favorable to Child

Spacing***

Includes LinkageBetween Family’s Decision to Have

Children & Ability toProvide for Them

SCHOOLING


Attitudes &Knowledge Conducive

toBreast Feeding

&Growth

Monitoring

Schooling Influences Food Schooling Influences Food AvailabilityAvailability

Attitudes &Skills Related to

Food Production

SCHOOLING

Partnering/Cooperating with

Others to IncreaseFood

Production

Schooling Influences Schooling Influences UtilizationUtilization (making proper biological use of food)(making proper biological use of food)

Health CareFacility Use

Proper Use of

Water

Proper BreastFeeding Practice

Community

Action for Health

& Sanitation

Proper Food Handling & Preparation

Treatment

of Parasitic

Disease

Proper SanitationPractices

Proper Child Care

Food for Education Influences Food for Education Influences Schooling SUPPLY and Schooling SUPPLY and

DEMANDDEMAND

D e m a n d S ideFa cto rs

S u pply S ideFa cto rs

S ch o o lC o v e ra g e

Fo o d fo rEdu ca t io n

Fo o d S e cu rity

Persistent Education SUPPLY Persistent Education SUPPLY ChallengesChallenges• Rationing of places due to low school plant

absorptive capacity

• Irrelevant or inappropriate curriculum

• Tuition or fees charged

• High teacher absenteeism

• Insufficient attention to meeting the special needs of girls or other special needs groups needs groups

• Schools are too far from children’s homesSchools are too far from children’s homes

• School calendar or schedule is inappropriate to local production or cultural norms

• Minimal linkages between school and community

Food for Education Can Boost Food for Education Can Boost SupplySupply

Use food to help community improve facilities

Use food to help community build closer facilities

Use food to improve teacher attendance

Use food to pay teachers toattend training

Use food to promotecommunityinvolvement

Use food to help payteacher aides

Use food to offset opportunity costs ofschool attendance

Use food to build girl-friendly infrastructure

Persistent Education DEMAND Persistent Education DEMAND ChallengesChallenges

• Costs of school attendance are too high

• Too little learning takes place

• Students are likely to fail

• Schooling is culturally inappropriate

• Nothing “useful” is taught in school

• School facility does not meet girls’ needs

Parents or children feel that…

Food for Education Can Boost Food for Education Can Boost DEMANDDEMAND

Use food to help offset costs of school

attendance

Use food to build links between school and home

Use food to create opportunities for

parental involvement

Use food as aresource to enhance classroom learning

Use food to improvechildren’s active

learning capacity (ALC)

10 Education Reform Building 10 Education Reform Building BlocksBlocks

Learner Quality

Pedagogy

CommunityInvolvement

Finances

Time

Curriculum

Sectoral L inks

Teacher

Management

Place

Food for Education and the 10 Food for Education and the 10 Education Reform Building Education Reform Building BlocksBlocks

#1:#1: ChangeChange

• Provide school lunches or snacks to alleviate short-term Provide school lunches or snacks to alleviate short-term

hungerhunger

• Provide snacks that address micronutrient deficiencies Provide snacks that address micronutrient deficiencies

associated with cognitive functionassociated with cognitive function

Learner Quality

Food for Education and the Food for Education and the 10 Education Reform Building 10 Education Reform Building BlocksBlocks

#2:#2: Change Change

• Improve water and sanitation with food aid incentivesImprove water and sanitation with food aid incentives

• Build facilities closer to studentsBuild facilities closer to students with food aid incentiveswith food aid incentives

Place



• Lengthen the school day and provide snacks to maintain Lengthen the school day and provide snacks to maintain

attentionattention

• Lengthen the school year and provide food to offset Lengthen the school year and provide food to offset

opportunity costs of attendance, especially for girlsopportunity costs of attendance, especially for girls

Time


#4:#4: ChangeChange

• Offer food incentives for community members to provide Offer food incentives for community members to provide

teacher housing teacher housing

• Provide food to supplement teacher salaries or as a bonus for Provide food to supplement teacher salaries or as a bonus for

high performancehigh performance

• Provide food to parent aidesProvide food to parent aides

Teacher


#5:#5: ChangeChange

• Involve community members in the organization and Involve community members in the organization and

management of school lunch or snack programsmanagement of school lunch or snack programs

• Use community involvement in school feeding as an entry Use community involvement in school feeding as an entry

point for building a richer set of school-community linkspoint for building a richer set of school-community links

CommunityInvolvement



• Use food aid to help pay for training teachers to work with the new curriculumUse food aid to help pay for training teachers to work with the new curriculum

• Use food preparation as an opportunity to develop skills in food handling, storage, Use food preparation as an opportunity to develop skills in food handling, storage,

nutrition, sanitation and consumption choicesnutrition, sanitation and consumption choices

Curriculum



• Introduce snacks to reduce short-term cognitive deficits that Introduce snacks to reduce short-term cognitive deficits that

will impede satisfactory progress with a more challenging will impede satisfactory progress with a more challenging

curriculumcurriculum

• Integrate food preparation activities with other elements of the Integrate food preparation activities with other elements of the

curriculum including math, science, social studies and artcurriculum including math, science, social studies and art

Pedagogy



• Use school feeding program to build awareness of what goes Use school feeding program to build awareness of what goes

on at schoolon at school

• Use school feeding program to create PTAs that eventually Use school feeding program to create PTAs that eventually

have the capacity to insist on accountability for resultshave the capacity to insist on accountability for results

Management



• Montetize a portion of donated commoditiesMontetize a portion of donated commodities

• Use proceeds to invest in qualityUse proceeds to invest in quality

Finances


#10: #10: Create Create

• Contract with local food producers to stimulate demand for Contract with local food producers to stimulate demand for

locally grown fruits and vegetableslocally grown fruits and vegetables

• Make connections to health sector through deworming and Make connections to health sector through deworming and

vitamin A supplementationvitamin A supplementation

• Work with agricultural extensionists to develop school gardensWork with agricultural extensionists to develop school gardens

Sectoral Links

Contextualizing: 4 Contextualizing: 4 ScenariosScenarios

C A S E # 2C A S E # 1

C A S E # 3 C A S E # 4

D e m a n d Q u a l i ty

L O W

H IG H

L O W

H IG H

D e m a n d Q u a l i ty

L O WH IG H

H IG HL O W

U se food a s anin cen tive toa ttract m ore

stu d en ts an d toim p rove

ch ild ren 's activelearn in g cap acity

U se food to a ttractou t-o f-sch oo l

ch ild ren an d toreta in th ose in

sch oo l

C on sid er sca lin gb ack or p h asin g

ou t o f feed in gactiv ity

U se food toim p rove active

learn in g cap acity ,com m u n ity

in vo lvem en t an dteach er sk ills

Conclusion

THE END

Documents

FOOD FOR EDUCATION, SCHOOL REFORM AND FOOD SECURITY: Making the Connections Beryl Levinger Education Development Center and Monterey Institute of International