Arcacian School Nutrition Programme

The Arcacian School Nutrition Programme is a free service for Arcacian and Lycanthian primary school children from Kindergarten to Year 7 providing each child with their choice of milk or orange juice, as well as a piece of fruit, typically a choice between a mandarin, apple or banana. The programme is viewed as a cornerstone of Social Welfare in Arcacia and has virtually unanimous support.

History
The service first started as the School Milk Programme in 1946. Children in primary school were given a third of a pint (approx. 158ml) of milk in the morning, typically handed out to them as they entered the classroom and then consumed prior to commencement of class. This amount was increased to 200ml in 1967 when Arcacia adopted the metric system.

Nutrition Act of 1970
In 1970, Margaret Thatcher, then British Education Secretary, contracted the school milk programme in the United Kingdom. This raised concerns in Arcacia that a similar move would be made by the then mainly National Party Senate. A public petition was submitted to the Senate, which called for the State to guarantee the continuation of the programme. It passed and became law, binding all future governments to provide 200ml of milk to every child every school day.

Expansion
In 1982 the programme was expanded to include juice and a piece of fruit. The amount was increased from 200ml to 250ml. The move was made after a study showed about 1 in 3 children were not eating a sufficient breakfast, either due to time constraints in the morning or an inability of the parents to provide breakfast.

Expansion to Lycanthia
When Lycanthia became a protectorate of Arcacia in 2010, the programme was automatically introduced. No such programme had existed in Lycanthia prior to this. The programme has been successful and the government has agreed to continue it after the protectorate agreement expires in 2020.

Future Expansion
The government is currently investigating the possibility and benefit of expanding the programme to include high school students from Year 8 to Year 10. A cost/benefit analysis is being completed and the results are expected to be presented to the Senate early in 2012.

Token System
Children are given 5 plastic tokens each Friday for use the following week, which they are encouraged to keep in their school bags so as not to forget them. Tokens are coloured and numbered 1 to 5, with each number corresponding to a day of the week. Schools open their canteens in the half hour prior to the start of class as children start arriving and children then present their daily token to receive their choice of 250ml of milk or orange juice and their choice of fruit, typically a choice between a mandarin, apple or banana, depending on seasonal availability. This is then consumed prior to the start of class. The tokens are then reused.

Effect
Since the 1982 expansion of the programme, a noticeable rise in literacy and numeracy has been observed with children achieving high grades more consistently. Children have been observed to have better concentration and comprehension of curricular material, have more energy and often sleep more soundly at night. Attendance rates are also consistently higher. Obesity rates in Arcacia are also comparably low as many children forego sugary or fatty breakfasts at home in favour of cereal or toast with the Nutrition Programme providing the balance before class. Children are less hungry at lunch and therefore more likely to select lighter options rather than salty or fatty foods.

Public Support
The programme has virtually unanimous support across the country and is viewed as a vital part of the school day. Some politicians, almost always on the conservative side of the political spectrum, have spoken against the programme, usually resulting in them committing "political suicide." Any attempt to introduce a motion to halt or contract the programme is met with stiff opposition and usually quashed very quickly.