Improving the Poor Nutritional Status of Grade Five Pupils in Balayan East Central School through Project EBD Eating a Balanced Diet

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The nutrition of the child is one of the most important aspects that enable them to study properly and perform their duties within and outside the school. Health once neglected, can greatly affect the performance of the child in his class. One of the programs of Department of Education is the school feeding program for undernourished pupils. Pupils classified as wasted or severely wasted are the priority target of the program. The tool used to determine if the pupil is undernourished is the nutritional status report.

METHODS

The researcher used the descriptive method of research, which aim to determine the factors affecting the nutritional status of Grade Five pupils, the programs that the teacher used to enhance their nutrition problems. The data gathering procedure was a survey method, and the questionnaire was the data gathering instrument. The respondents of this study were the parents, 11 teachers of Grade Five and 60 malnourished pupils of Balayan East Central School.

RESULTS

It has been found out that the pupils who are malnourished 1) are mostly the pupils with low academic performance, 2) they are also the listed undisciplined pupils in their sections and also 3) they are the one who are prone to different kinds of sickness that results to their frequent absences. With Project EBD's regular feeding and monitoring through home visitation greatly helped the pupils to improve their nutritional status. Their attitudes towards schooling also developed. Values also changed specifically their physical, mental, emotional and social well-being.

DISCUSSIONS

Project EBD -Eating a Balanced Diet can help minimized the number of wasted and severely wasted among 60 Grade Five Pupils in Balayan East Central School. As a result of continuous monitoring and home visitation from the nutritional status of the beginning year, there is a big improvement in the nutritional status of the said pupils.