A primary school has banned fruit juice during the day as an “easy way to reduce sugar intake” of children, local news website Kent Online has reported.
Pupils at Wateringbury Primary School are only being allowed to drink milk or water, with all sugary drinks banned from lunchboxes.
Headteacher Chasey Crawford-Usher told the paper that the decision has had a mixed reaction from parents, with some writing to Kent Online’s sister paper Kent Messenger to say that their children will not drink water or milk, and consequently will become dehydrated. Others have welcomed the initiative, the paper said.
“Over the last few years, we have noticed the number of sweetened drinks in the dining hall has changed dramatically from an occasional box of fruit juice to a raft of artificial drinks with a high sugar content and squash taking the place of water in the children’s water bottles,” Crawford-Usher told the paper.
She added that there is “ample opportunity” for children to drink juice either at home, before or after school. She told the paper: “I aim to lead a school that steps up to the very important health and fitness issues facing our nation. To do nothing would be an abdication of my duty as a school leader.”
The policy does not extend to sugary foods, with fresh fruit, cakes, biscuits and hot puddings available from the canteen, although the school requests chocolate is not included in lunch boxes, Kent Online said.
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