UNESCO Supports Environmentally Friendly Schools in Jakarta

       Jakarta, Dec 15, 2009 (Antara) - UNESCO `s Jakarta Office has supported a program of environmentally friendly elementary schools and revitalization of elementary school canteens in Jakarta.

       The program has been implemented since July 2009 by involving around 50 elementary schools in Jakarta, according to Nuning Wirjoatmodjo, the program`s coordinator, here on Tuesday (15/12/2009).
State elementary schools SDN 01 in Gambir (Central Jakarta) and SDN 01 in Pasar Minggu (South Jakarta) have been appointed pilot projects for the program, which includes trainings for trainers in integrated waste management and nutrition.

       Wirjoatmodjo said education to respect nature, back to nature and green health should be given to children at an early age, such as elementary school students.
Food sold in Indonesian school canteens in general does not meet health standards, according to Andang Widhawari Gunawan ND, a nutritionist, when speaking at a workshop on school canteen revitalization and climate change sponsored by UNESCO Jakarta Office at environmentally friendly kampong Banjarsari, Cipete, South Jakarta, Tuesday.
She hoped that the government, in this case the education ministry, the health ministry and the Medicine and Food Supervisory Body (POM) could supervise food being sold in school canteen.
Quite a number of children were suffering from diseases such as cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol which are supposed to be found only in adults, she said.
Healthy food consumption with proportion of 60 percent of fruit and vegetables and 40 percent rice and fish/meat is not only good for one`s health but also for the environment, according to her.
Reducing consumption of red meat, such as beef, could help reduce carbon emission because animal husbandry, especially cow ranch, is one of the largest contributors of CO2 emission, she said.
The workshop was attended by among others students, teachers and canteen managers of SDN 01 Gambir and Pasar Minggu.
UNESCO Jakarta Office has supported environmentally friendly schools in Jakarta since 1996, among other things by providing trainings on integrated waste management, composting, re-greening, and recycle. (ANTARA)