School council network
Thursday 2 November 2006
The Food Standards Agency has developed a school council network with nine schools across England. The main purpose of the network is to listen and understand the views of children and young people, especially in relation to food.
Over the past few years, there has been growing concern about the quality and nutritional content of children's food, both in and out of school.
By developing the school council network, the Agency aims to gain a better insight into what children and young people think about a range of food issues.
The Agency has been working with four secondary and five primary schools throughout England, in areas as diverse as Lyme Regis, Liverpool, Barnsley and Northampton. Meetings are held once a term with each of the nine school councils.
What are school councils?
A school council is a group of students who are elected to represent the views of all pupils and to improve their school. The term refers to all kinds of school-based groups run by students, including student forums.
What are young people telling us about food issues? The reports below give us an insight into their views.
Report on age-related competencies
The Agency has recently held a consultation on age-related competencies for 7-16 year olds. The competencies covered issues such as recognising the benefits of certain types of food, awareness of consumer rights and food preparation skills. This report was written following meetings with the Agency's school council network and gives insight to the views, thoughts and comments from young people on a subject that is really relevant to their lives.
Communication with young people
This report was compiled to help the Agency better understand the numerous and diverse routes that are available to organisations like ourselves to directly reach young people with credibility. The channels for communications appear to grow every day and the Agency recognises the importance of targeting messages using the correct media. This report was written following meetings with the Agency's school council network and gives insight to the views, thoughts and comments from young people.
Related links
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