More and more elementary school in Kerkrade embrace Healthy Elementary School of the Future approach

Elementary school De Diabolo and De Schakel started offering a healthy lunch this school year. In doing so, they are taking an important step toward The Healthy Elementary School of the Future (GBT): an approach that teaches children healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. To mark the start, Alderman Jo Schlangen (Education) visited the schools last week.

At The Healthy Elementary School of the Future, healthy eating and daily exercise are a matter of course. A healthy lunch is part of it, as is at least one hour of exercise per school day. Alderman Jo Schlangen visited the schools last week to see how the schools have embraced the approach.

Leander Versleijen, director of De Schakel, explains the added value of this approach: "We not only want to teach children how to read and do arithmetic, but also how important healthy eating and sufficient exercise are. By eating lunch together at school, we also reduce differences between children. Everyone gets the same healthy basis."

Thijs Ringens, director of elementary school De Diabolo, is also enthusiastic: "Everyone wishes children to be comfortable in their own skin and grow up healthy. If we instill the importance of healthy eating at a young age, we really make a difference. The Healthy Elementary School of the Future supports us to make this concrete and achievable at school."

Successful approach

The Healthy Elementary School of the Future is already being implemented at several schools in Kerkrade. De Steltloper and De Schatkist started in 2021-2022, and (V)SO Jan Baptist can now also call itself a fully-fledged GBT location. Research shows that the approach works: children eat and exercise more healthily, there is less bullying and even school performance improves.

The GGD supports schools with advice and guidance. In Kerkrade, The Healthy Primary School of the Future is one of the Vie projects that contribute to an environment in which healthy living is encouraged. 

Healthy School

In addition to the GBT approach, many schools in Kerkrade also work with the broader Healthy School approach. This focuses not only on nutrition and exercise, but also on themes such as Mental Well-Being, Media Literacy and Relationships and Sexuality. Schools can obtain certificates in these areas. Several schools in Kerkrade have already obtained certificates, including Well-Being, Nutrition and Exercise and Sport.

More information about the GBT approach can be found on the website of The Healthy Primary School of the Future.