An elementary school in Duncan has made the bold decision to no longer allow pop, iced tea, juice or energy drinks.
The school has gone water-only, after an experiment that saw staff and students consume more than 2,000 litres of water towards the end of the last school year. The school’s parent advisory group has donated new re-usable water bottles for students.
Proponents are saying it’s a healthy choice, and water is better for children than sugar-filled drinks like soda, iced tea or juice.
Opponents are more blunt: stop trying to parent peoples’ kids. Others have said taking the choice away from children is not teaching them how to make healthy choices themselves.
The sad reality is, there are many parents and children in our society who don’t know how or cannot afford to make healthy choices with their children’s food. We have to start making an example somewhere that children can follow, and schools seem the logical choice.
Some schools have already made such a switch, with little friction. The Duncan school’s parent advisory council and district officials are behind the initiative.
We say people should reserve opinion on the decision until it has had a chance to play out a little more. The Cowichan Valley school district has said this is a pilot project, and they will re-evaluate it to see if it has been successful.
— Alberni Valley News