Odding thinks that there should be more open discussion on this subject. “Having lunch together does get the conversation going, but I still think there is still a step to be taken and it should become less taboo.”
There is another advantage to this project for the child centre, because parents help with the lubrication, which also increases involvement in the school, says Fenia Duker, bridge official. “We had few parents within the school and we wanted to increase that. We saw this as a great opportunity. And it also works. More and more parents are walking around the school and they also enjoy being involved with the students .”
A bridging officer is a person who bridges the gap between the school, the student and the family. This person ensures that children can continue to participate and that every child has equal opportunities. Duker coordinates, among other things, the school lunch at De Vuurvogel.
The school certainly sees the added value of this project. “The children have more concentration, more energy and there is more togetherness. Because of that well-filled stomach, we really see this as an added value for our school,” says Duker.
Group 5/6 student Kymano also notices the benefits of the school lunch. “I have more energy and therefore more fun. That was less before school lunch.” And in that class about a hundred sandwiches per day go through.
The pilot will run from October 2022 and will last until spring. The Youth Education Fund is currently working with the Red Cross and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science on a plan to also offer school meals in the longer term at primary and secondary schools where it is most needed.
But at De Vuurvogel they are sure of it. Even if there is no more subsidy, they will continue with this project.
RTV Drenthe visited De Vuurvogel to see how the school lunch is prepared and distributed