The evaluation of the elementary school lunch program with the mixed grade children

Abstract

School lunch program has an important meaning in helping children to aquire the favorable dietary habit throughout their lifetime and it has been practiced with the same grade children eating in their classroom with their teacher (Non-mixed Program). Recently, the new style of school lunch program has been practiced by some of the elementary schools, such as Joto Elementary School in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, in which the mixed grade children dine around the table in the school dining room with their teachers (Mixed Program).
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects on school children in the Mixed Program in comparison with those in Non-mixed Program by use of the questionnaire. The results were as follows;
1) There were more number of children in Mixed Program who answered that they chew the food well and they became able to eat some of the food they disliked before.
2) There were more number of children in Mixed Program who enjoy talking to the senior and junior children during the lunchtime.
3) There were more number of children in Mixed Program who are willing to participate in the lunch program.