National school nutrition in Barbados

by Dr Zhane Bridgeman-Maxwell (The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of this publication.)

When a child walks into a classroom on an empty stomach, the primary challenge of the day is to overcome the physical distraction of hunger. The human brain consumes roughly twenty per cent of the body’s energy, and for a developing child, missing the morning meal can translate directly into reduced attention span, impaired memory and lower cognitive endurance. No matter how brilliant the curriculum or how dedicated the educator, learning simply cannot take place when a child’s basic physiological needs are unmet.

The full rollout of the National School Breakfast Programme by the Ministry of Education Transformation is therefore a major victory for public education in Barbados.