“It’s all about two things; eating and playing outside together in a healthy and fun way.” With these words Ria Meijvogel resolutely opened the annual IOS Extracurricular Care Conference (IOS Overblijfconferentie). It’s aimed at carers and coordinators who provide and coordinate pre-school, mid-day and after-school care. The auditorium on the 7th floor of Engels conference centre is well-filled: over 300 women and a handful of men have turned up for a day of inspiration, meetings, info market and workshops. In the elevator it soon becomes clear that the visitors have come to Rotterdam from far and wide. “I was already in the train at 6 o’clock this morning, and I’m not going home until well after the drinks party,” one sturdy young woman in her twenties confides to me. She and her colleagues – red fleece jackets, bright fresh eyes – are from Oldenzaal and are looking forward to getting lots of mid-day care tips. “Games, fun things to do that aren’t too time-consuming, because time is really at a premium.” 

Mid-day carers in Oldenzaal.

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I am at the meeting on behalf of InnovationNetwork; the Eating Well Together concept is being developed as part of the Healthy Society theme in order to promote the importance of good meals in a pleasant setting at primary schools. This year the IOS conference has selected food and nutrition as its theme – which is why Annemie Burger, Director General of Food & Nutrition at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, has been invited to address the audience on this subject.

“You are the link between the child and nutrition, and children who eat well are less aggressive and feel better about themselves,” the DG claims. She went on to stress that everybody has a responsibility for making children ‘food-literate’. “Children need to be helped to make good choices from the abundance of food on offer every day.” I hear approving noises all round. When the DG suggests preparing meals together with the children, the two women next to me wonder how they could possibly do that in practice, because at their school there is “really no room and time for that.”

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Annemie Burger said she would be happy to meet with her colleagues of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to discuss what is necessary to give this a place at school. Responding to the frequently mentioned lack of time, she has brought along an appropriate little time-saving gift from the Ministry: a smart apple-peeler. The reactions are enthusiastic because it shows she understands one of the biggest obstacles to good mid-day care at schools: Lack of time! “It’s good to see somebody from the ministry here, she might be able to get me a bit more pay too,” one of the ladies whispers.”

Then it’s time for the workshops with titles like Picnic Basket and Mid-Day Care without the administrative hassle. I opt to pay a visit to the hands-on world of De Wereld op Zuid. It’s a splendid complex with five institutions including two primary schools and a day care centre for children with impairments. Together they look after children 12 hours a day. We were given an enthusiastic guided tour by Kinder Service Hotels, the organization that runs the complex. I was particularly interested in the kitchen where fresh meals are prepared for these children every day. It looked absolutely great. A tightly planned timetable ensures that the children have enough time to enjoy their meals in shifts. They do this at tables that are – deliberately – laid with plates, cups and saucers, and cutlery. That way we teach them to pay attention to their food and, with a bit of luck, eat with a knife and fork. It is still uncertain whether De Wereld op Zuid can continue in its current shape for much longer. In financial terms it is barely viable and it looks as if they are going to continue in a pared-down format.

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My conclusion after today: Everyone I speak to about eating well together at the primary school agrees that the lunches must be more fun, more leisurely and tastier. This positive attitude definitely provides a good basis for continuing to develop and support initiatives.