School-Based Food and Nutrition Education
In Jamaica, nutrition education is integrated into the national curriculum through the subject of health and family life education (HFLE), under the theme “Appropriate Eating and Fitness”, spanning from primary to secondary levels. At the secondary level, it is also a key component of home economics, specifically within the food and nutrition curriculum. Additionally, topics on food and nutrition are included in subjects such as science, physical education, integrated studies and agricultural sciences. Beyond the classroom, nutrition education is reinforced through extracurricular activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Programmes like "Jamaica Moves in Schools" emphasize both nutrition and physical activity. National observances such as Health Awareness Days, Caribbean Nutrition Day, and National School Moves Day also provide opportunities for learning about nutrition and health.
| Main targets | • Primary school • Secondary School |
| Main educators | Teachers |
| Integration within the school curriculum | • as part of one subject: o Health and family life education (primary to secondary level) o Food, nutrition and health component within home economics (secondary level, Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) • through extracurricular activities |
Development of the HFLE and home economics curricula
The Curriculum Unit within the Ministry of Education is the entity responsible for developing the HFLE curriculum in Jamaica, which is based on the regional Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Framework for Health and Family Life Education.
The framework, which applies to ages 5 to 12 years in primary school and 11-16 years in secondary school, was developed by the CARICOM Secretariat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It encompasses four thematic areas, one of which is “Appropriate Eating and Fitness”. The framework outlines regional standards, descriptors, and key skills that students are expected to achieve in each thematic area, such as:
| Theme: Appropriate Eating and Fitness | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regional Standards (RS) | Descriptor | Key Skills |
| RS1) Build individual capacity to make healthy eating choices throughout the life cycle, and reduce the risk factors associated with the development of lifestyle diseases. | Students, need to understand that healthy eating and the right balance of safe, nutritious, and wholesome foods (are critical to optimum health throughout the life cycle, and they should acquire skills to make healthy food choices and reduce the incidents of diet-related/lifestyle diseases. |
|
| RS3) Analyse the influence of socio-cultural and economic factors, as well as personal beliefs and choices related to appropriate eating and fitness. | Students need to critically examine how their eating and exercise behaviours are influenced by family culture as well as social, economic and religious factors and media. They need to learn how to make healthy choices and display habits which lead to a healthy active lifestyle. |
|
| RS4) Develop knowledge and skills to access age-appropriate sources of information, products, and services related to appropriate eating and fitness. | Students should be capable of identifying and accessing age-appropriate information, products, and services relating to eating and fitness from reliable legitimate sources. Students should be encouraged to critically assess information, products, and services relating to eating and fitness for the attainment and maintenance of good health throughout the life cycle. |
|
The modules and topics for HFLE are developed based on such descriptors, standards and skills, as well as the latest data on emerging health and social issues in the country relevant to schoolchildren. Before publication, the modules and topics are reviewed by relevant partners, such as the Nutrition unit from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to ensure accuracy and relevance of the content.
The curriculum is revised approximately every five years. As of mid-2024, the Curriculum Unit is finalizing the new HFLE curriculum for primary and secondary levels.
The food, nutrition and health component of home economics is developed by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC). The latest version being used in Jamaica is from 2017.
Implementation of the HFLE and home economics curricula
The Curriculum Unit within the Ministry of Education oversees curriculum implementation, with teachers being the main implementers of HFLE at school level. At the secondary level, HFLE is taught by designated teachers. At the primary level, classroom teachers typically handle the subject, although some schools are transitioning to employing specialized HFLE teachers for primary students as well.
The Curriculum Unit conducts regular teacher training sessions, focusing on improving pedagogic methodologies. The Ministry of Health and Wellness supports these trainings and supplies key resource materials.
Key topics in the HFLE curriculum include safe food handling practices, characteristics of a healthy diet, explanation of what are the nutrition facts, factors influencing eating healthily, and other healthy habits such as sun exposure, sleep, exercise and hydration. A detailed description of the HFLE curriculum including its objectives, suggested learning activities, and assessment criteria can be found here for grades 7 and 8 and for grade 9 here.
HFLE is designed to equip students with cognitive, social and coping skills, including decision-making, problem-solving, negotiation, health self-management and self-awareness skills. These skills are honed through practical activities such as navigating a fictional tuck shop to choose healthy snacks, as well as through class discussions, group work, journaling, and others.
Health promotion activities are a major component of the HFLE subject. HFLE teachers are required to organize health awareness activities each term to commemorate local and international health days. In collaboration with other organizations, students engage in activities such as presentations by guest speakers, prepare healthy meals, and partake in physical activity competitions to increase awareness and commemorate the days.
Regarding the food, nutrition and health component within Home Economics, the following topics are covered 1) Diet and health, 2) Nutrition and health; 3) Meal planning, preparation and dining; 4) Food, science and technology; 5) Kitchen design and equipment management; 6) Consumerism and purchasing of food; and 7) Food-management, preparation and service. Detailed content, learning outcomes and suggested teaching and learning activities for this component can be found here. Learning modalities feature both knowledge and skills-based approaches.
Monitoring and Evaluation of the HFLE and home economics curricula
The evaluation of HFLE is predominantly based on classroom assessment of activities such as journaling, portfolios, and reflective exercises. However, some schools also incorporate written exams and practical performance tasks to assign grades for HFLE. The Curriculum Unit aims to standardize the assessment methods for HFLE across schools.
Other activities relevant to food and nutrition education
The Ministry of Education collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to conduct health screenings in schools such as Body Mass Index (BMI) checks for students. The collected data is analyzed and reported to schools for targeted interventions. Nutritionists and health educators from the Ministry of Health and Wellness collaborate with schools to address health-related concerns.
Additionally, a pilot project involving 23 schools, initiated by the School Feeding Unit and the Technical and Vocational Unit, is setting up school gardens in Jamaica. These gardens are designed to support the school meal programme, and increase awareness among students of healthy eating.