FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

For more information regarding the project, contact George Pittalis, teacher, or Dr Sophia Ioannou Georgiou, Inspector General of Primary Education at the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture: E-Mail: gpittalis@schools.ac.cy or soioannou@moec.gov.cy WHO? The project is led by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture with the support of the Central Committee for the Quality Assurance of School Canteens, the School Boards and the Association of School Canteen Managers. The ministry coordinates and runs all the procedures and aspects of the implementation of the programme, beginning with the selection of the type of breakfast to be offered and its nutritional quality, up to its delivery to schools and to the eligible children. The ministry is also responsible for the implementation of all the aspects of the programme while adhering to the relevant legislation. The successful implementation of the programme is the result of the cooperation between the stakeholders (schools, school boards, parents’ associations and canteen staff). School staff have been the backbone of the delivery of this programme as they have selected students in need and ensured fair and effective delivery to all beneficiaries. The Advisory Board can also sometimes cooperate with the local church, the local authorities or others who may be in a position to know the real needs of the pupils. HOW? The programme targets children from disadvantaged families who are at risk of malnutrition . Each school has an Advisory Committee that selects the eligible pupils, which is composed of school staff, the School Board and members of parents’ associations. A Local Committee for the Quality Assurance of School Canteens runs regular checks to ensure the good quality and sufficient quantity of the breakfasts served. To ensure discretion and respect the dignity of the eligible pupils and their families, the school management of each school discreetly contacts the parents/guardians of the pupils, preferably in person and individually, so that they can complete and sign a statement. Breakfast (a sandwich or a different type of breakfast/snack) is prepared daily by the school canteens. In cases where a canteen does not operate at a school, breakfast is provided at a nearby school or by another supplier. All students get their breakfast in the same place to avoid drawing distinctions between students, but the recipients are exempt from paying. They are known to the canteen which has a list with the names of beneficiaries. A structured survey to evaluate the programme found that 95% of the parents faced no difficulties in the procedures involved in the free breakfast programme and 80% mentioned the programme has been a great help to their families. 15 Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018