December 14, 2016
A citizens’ group in Kanagawa’s Yokohama City on December 12 submitted to the mayor a petition demanding the introduction of a school lunch program for public junior high school students. The petition was signed by 36,000 people.
Nearly 90% of public junior high schools in Japan provide lunches. However, those in Yokohama City are among the remaining 10% and the city’s 80,000 students are left without school meals.
The petition states that the Yokohama City government has a responsibility to provide healthy meals to all junior high school students in order to help ensure their healthy physical development.
The petition also notes the city’s move to privatize the operation of school kitchens at its elementary schools. It argues that the city authority should stop this move and fulfill the role of responsibly preparing and providing lunches for pupils.
Suzuki Keiko, the head of the citizens group, said to a city official who received the petition that other municipal governments in the prefecture already introduced school lunch programs for junior high schools. She stressed that the city government should make efforts to launch such a program in accordance with the School Lunch Law.
Nearly 90% of public junior high schools in Japan provide lunches. However, those in Yokohama City are among the remaining 10% and the city’s 80,000 students are left without school meals.
The petition states that the Yokohama City government has a responsibility to provide healthy meals to all junior high school students in order to help ensure their healthy physical development.
The petition also notes the city’s move to privatize the operation of school kitchens at its elementary schools. It argues that the city authority should stop this move and fulfill the role of responsibly preparing and providing lunches for pupils.
Suzuki Keiko, the head of the citizens group, said to a city official who received the petition that other municipal governments in the prefecture already introduced school lunch programs for junior high schools. She stressed that the city government should make efforts to launch such a program in accordance with the School Lunch Law.
