Federal School Breakfast Program - Research Paper Example

? AB – 839 Pupil nutrition: Federal School Breakfast Program AB – 839 Pupil Nutrition: Federal School Breakfast Program Overview of the health problem: The point being highlighted by this bill is that of the importance of breakfast in the daily life of students, and how their attention and accomplishment in class, is related to it. The law subsisting at the moment obliges schools and kindergartens, to provide every pupil one free or low cost meal every school day, which has suitable nutritional content. It also requires the State Department of Education, to provide funding to all eligible schools to initiate a breakfast program, and also spread the knowledge that how important a healthy breakfast is for a student to succeed in his daily life. The major focus of this law has been on the fact that how a healthy breakfast can improve a student’s day. Having no breakfast in the morning leaves a student tired throughout the time he spends in school, and he is unable to concentrate in class. Thus, at the end of the day he achieves nothing. AB – 839, which is introduced Brownley focuses on this very problem and plans to improve the current law regarding this, and bring further changes, that hopefully will tackle this problem more aggressively. Severity of the health problem: Breakfast has been said to be the most important meal of the day, as it helps a person in starting his day. If the person gets off to a good start, then his rest of the day will surely go well. This is especially important amongst students. Students have to go to school and learn. They do not only indulge in studies but extracurricular activities as well. Thus, it is essential that students start off their day with a healthy breakfast. The very first advantage of having a healthy breakfast is that it helps in the learning process. Students, who eat nutritional food in the morning, clearly perform better than students who do not. The time spent in school is not only restricted to studying but also towards different outdoor activities. To carry out all this, students need energy which comes from carbohydrates that a healthy breakfast delivers. Furthermore, having a wholesome breakfast, allows the students to manage their weight, and prevents them from becoming overweight, which is usually a result of irregular eating habits. (Importance of Breakfast for Students by Deepa Kartha. 2009) According to various reports, students who have breakfast in the morning can concentrate more on their studies throughout the day, and they are able to achieve better grades and are eventually more successful. Skipping breakfast before an exam is the worst anyone can do. During an exam, full attention and concentration is required, which can only be achieved if enough energy reaches our brain. This energy which helps our mind to function properly in the morning can only be achieved by having a proper breakfast. It is also reported that students who have a healthy breakfast, almost never experience anxiety problems, neither do they suffer from lack of focus during class. Their concentration remains on their studies, and they are able to comprehend well what that is being taught to them. And all this is because breakfast gives the student energy which boosts his memory, thinking skills and also his ability to solve various problems. On the other hand, students who tend to skip their daily breakfast, land themselves in a lot of trouble. They are unable to focus throughout the day. Their empty stomach, does not allow them to concentrate on what is going on around them, and they end up displaying signs of headaches, sleepiness and fatigue. Mental problems such as anger, anxiety and nervousness are also very common. Furthermore, students who regard breakfast as irrelevant end up being vulnerable to various diseases, as their body cannot produce enough energy and their immune system is not working at its full potential. All these problems can be detrimental to a student’s health, and can be a major hindrance in his path to achieve his goals. (Importance of Breakfast, Times Health. 2011) Thus, judging the gravity of the problem, action should be taken to make sure that every student has a complete breakfast. Spreading the word that breakfast is essential, and every student should have breakfast before attending school, is not enough. This is because they are many other reasons for children not to have breakfast in the morning. Some might be living I far-fetched and low income areas, where proper importance is not placed on breakfast, and students do not really feel a need to have nutritious food in the morning. Some might have to leave for school very early in the morning, as they might have to cover a large distance, or they also might have transport problems. Some parents do not earn much, and they are unable to provide food three times a day, so breakfast is usually left out. So school breakfast program is an effective way to control or tackle this problem. It would not only provide students with a different environment, but also help them understand the need to have a proper and healthy breakfast. Also having breakfast at school, will allow students to interact more with not only their peers but with the school staff as well. Also some students receive their morning meals at schools, thus establishing well developed school breakfast programs which provide nutritious food, becomes a natural move. (Breakfast Programs) Overview of the bill and Stakeholders: AB – 839, as introduced by Brownley, places significant importance on the point that breakfast is necessary for all students as it directly related to their achievements in school. Therefore it plans on taking further action to ensure that the school breakfast program is effective. It would require schools to gain further access to the federal School Breakfast Program, and they will also be expected to hand over a report to the State Department of Education that whether or not the Breakfast Program was implemented in the previous years. The bill will also want the schools to increase their participation at sites where a breakfast program is already underway. It also requires school districts that elect to apply for funds under certain categorical programs, to approve the application regarding federal School Breakfast Program, and provide data which includes the right amount of students who are eligible for free food or meals at low costs, having a high nutritional value. The Consolidated Application (ConApp) is an electronic document required of districts that elect to apply for certain state and federal categorical funds. Through the approval of the ConApp by the school board in each district, many school districts gather together to discuss the future of the low income students, studying in their schools. This comes of a good chance, for the schools to review the federal School Breakfast program, and also how effective is the program in aiding their underprivileged students. The bill would not require schools to apply certain ways to serve breakfast in school, but it would focus on the benefits and usefulness of the federal School Breakfast Program, if implemented properly. It will do this by promoting open discussions about school breakfast during the ConApp approval process. This will lead to the schools either changing and improving their breakfast programs or maintaining their class. As discussed earlier, school breakfast programs, can benefit the students’ health, wellbeing and their activities in the school. This will lead to all district stakeholders: parents, teachers and school board members, to take interest and participate in the decisions affecting these programs. Promises/Expected Outcomes: AB – 839 expects to deliver a number of beneficial results. It is offering additional federal funds to schools, which are ready to introduce new effective tactics in breakfast programs. This will draw more school districts towards commencing better breakfast programs, for the benefit of the students. Also in this bad economic atmosphere, it can have a monetary advantage to many schools, which will be less reluctant to apply these programs. The bill is in direct relation to the fact that proper breakfast earns students better results in school. Research has it that there is a direct correlation between eating breakfast and test scores. Students who have their breakfast regularly score better in their tests than those who avoid eating breakfast or do not get time to. Thus, effective school breakfast programs can help students in acing in their studies. Students, who leave home for school without having breakfast, can be offered a healthy meal in their school, in the morning, through these programs. Having breakfast in school will also be an enjoyable experience for children, as they will be to interact with their friends, while having breakfast, something which they cannot do at home. Also students who are unable to have breakfast because of the fear of arriving late at school, need no longer be worried, as breakfast will be provided to them at their own school. The bill allows schools to apply for extra funds, through which these schools can help the low income students to perform to their full ability. Also the bill will require schools to include nutritious food as part of their breakfast program, so that every student can benefit from it. A healthy meal will also prove to be a great starter for the students, and will allow them to work actively throughout the day. Also AB – 839, focuses on every school district, which submits the ConApp, regardless its size. It especially aims towards those schools which have still not implemented the school breakfast program or have very low participation. Its main goal is to encourage breakfast programs in every school. (AB – 839: Putting Breakfast First. 2011) Problems: As such there are not key problems with this bill, except for the fact that it might lead to high costs, which have to be then taken care of by the different states. Implementing effective school breakfast programs, under which every school is required to provide nutritious food to students, can be expensive. This also includes the low in come students who are given a free meal or at a reduced price. But according to the bill, it will provide schools with additional funding, which will ultimately benefit them. Another problem that has been related to the bill or to the school breakfast programs as a whole, has been that students reach school late and school buses even arrive late at school. This disrupts the tight schedule that is maintained in most schools. Teachers and school staff could be opposed to the bill, as they do not like students being late for class or having breakfast in class. (Food Research and Action Center, 2002) Unintended Consequences: A minor negative outcome of this bill could be that some conservative people would take this move as interference in a family tradition. In families, where it is a practice that everyone should have breakfast together, this bill could create some problems for them. Naturally, students would like to have breakfast with their friends and peers, as it would be more fun. Thus, it is probable that students will intentionally skip breakfast at home, in order to have it at school. Some parents can be against this. From the school’s point of view, it can be placing a lot responsibility on the school staff. Some teachers might not support this, as they believe that it is the duty of parents to make sure that their children have breakfast before reaching school. Teaching students is their job, not feeding them. (School Breakfast Programs: Perceptions and Barriers, Issue 2, Fall 2004) Recommendation: AB – 839 is intended to create an atmosphere, where students realize the importance of a daily breakfast. It is for the students’ own benefit so that they are able to concentrate more on their studies and are able to carry out their daily activities. Without a healthy breakfast, it is impossible for a student to learn anything he is being taught in class, or even to follow any instructions that are being given to him. This becomes a great barrier between him and his goals, and he is not able to achieve his target. Also a healthy breakfast has a pleasant effect on a person. A satisfied stomach keeps him happy all day, and he remains in high spirits. According to John Gunther, ‘All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.’ Thus, the bill seems like a decent and useful idea. It encourages schools to provide a healthy breakfast to their students, so that they are energized throughout the day, and are able to focus in class. According to research, breakfasts served at school are more nutritious than the ones served at home. Therefore, by urging schools to have an effective breakfast program, the bill can do a great benefit to the society. Also by providing more funds to different schools districts, the bill is helping the schools in offering more support to the low income students, so that they can keep pace with their peers. Bibliography: Importance of Breakfast for Students by Deepa Kartha < http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-breakfast-for-students.html> Importance of Breakfast, Times Health < http://timeshealth.blogspot.com/2011/01/importance-of-breakfast-for-students.html> Breakfast Programs < http://www.breakfastclubscanada.org/Needs.aspx> AB – 839: Putting Breakfast First < http://cfpa.net/ChildNutrition/SBP/Legislation/AB839-FAQ-2011.pdf> http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0801-0850/ab_839_bill_20110217_introduced.pdf School Breakfast Programs: Perceptions and Barriers < http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/newsroom/jcnm/04fall/mcdonnell/index.asp> Read More