National Education Policy; A catalyst for nutrition education

By Archana Sinha

India, a land of diverse foods and cultures, is home to one of the largest vegetarian populations in the world. Despite this, according to the Nutrition Awareness Index 2023, almost 85% of Indians are unaware of vegetarian sources of protein, while over half the respondents were unaware of healthy fats. The lack of nutrition education in India has become a generational issue – primarily affecting children – and further resulting in chronic malnutrition even during adulthood. Studies indicate that the lack of adequate nutrition required for their optimal holistic development during childhood may leave them vulnerable to diseases and infections, stunt development, and reduce productivity. Children who suffer from wasting are often too thin for their height, increasing the risk of high mortality. Even if the child survives, malnutrition leaves the child susceptible to highly weakened immunity and inadequate development.  

With this in consideration, the recently amended National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curricular Framework (NCF) have recognised the significance of nutrition education and laid the foundation for addressing food security and nutrition among schoolchildren, to help in setting the tone in truly educating the future generations of adults in eradicating malnutrition and promoting healthy food habits. 

Key Takeaways

The NEP 2020, through the NCF, acts as a conduit to tackle the issue through a two-pronged approach – by making nutrition accessible and encouraging nutrition knowledge through curricular intervention. Significant attention has been given to the importance of nutrition in both school-going children and their communities alike by incorporating strategies to promote nutrition education in the curriculum across all ages while framing guidelines for multidimensional community engagement.

To improve accessibility to nutrition, the NEP 2020 has mandated a nutrient-dense breakfast scheme in addition to the existing mid-day meals to enhance cognitive development in children. Further, mandatory regular health check-ups have been prioritised for schoolchildren, along with 100% immunisation at schools.

To promote nutritional knowledge, the NCF has adopted the Indian traditional concept of the Panchakosha (five-fold development), through which it aims to strengthen the fundamental development of children right at their foundational stages via the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), through a harmonised curriculum focusing on the role of a healthy home environment in ensuring proper nutrition, emotional wellbeing, and good health practices. To ensure high-quality ECCE at home by primary caregivers, the Ministry of Woman and Child Development has developed guidelines and suggested practices to disseminate to the caregivers.

To incorporate nutrition education during the middle stage (grades 6^th to 8^th) and the secondary stage (grades 9^th and 10^th), the NCF further emphasises a nutrition-based analysis of the food they consume daily, the diversity in foods, and the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and mental health for a holistic development.

Additionally, for grades 11th and 12th, through the Science (Human Biology) subject, a substantial portion has been devoted to health and wellbeing through adequate nutrition consumption, along with an overview of both communicable and non-communicable diseases while promoting careers related to human health. 

Way Forward

The NEP has extensively addressed the significance of nutrition in education; however, a long road lies ahead to ensure a robust implementation of nutrition education to eradicate malnutrition across communities.

As children grow, they need to be equipped with knowledge about how to improve their nutritional status. Through hands-on learning, they must also be empowered as change agents to ideate and implement solutions to tackle malnutrition. Incorporation of nutrition education at foundational stages becomes imperative to harbour lifelong healthy dietary habits to ingrain healthy dietary behaviours and promote healthy choices. This can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. 

Owing to the role played by the Anganwadi schools in providing ECCE, a greater focus on the overall infrastructural and training development is imperative to ensure undisrupted and quality education across nearly 14 lakh Anganwadi centres. Comprehensive feedback on the midday meals and the breakfast schemes could ensure further improvement in developing a diverse menu more suited to their tastes, while also maintaining an adequate nutritional profile. While the NEP has laid provisions for regular health check-ups for its beneficiaries, it is crucial to ensure the incorporation of nutritional profiles to address malnutrition among children. 

Incorporation of nutrition gardens in all schools across India may additionally aid in promoting access to nutrition, community engagement, and nutrition education, while also encouraging higher enrolment of students.

Ensuring nutrition through educational interventions remains a pivotal first step in addressing the significance of nutrition and eradicating malnutrition in schoolchildren. An efficacious execution of the National Education Policy acts as a stepping stone in enhancing nutrition among the future parents and workforce of the country.

The author is co-founder and CEO of Nourishing Schools Foundation (NSF). Views are personal.