Local teachers are top of the class in nutrition and health

Teachers from across Northern Ireland are celebrating their exam success after recently completing a Diploma in Nutrition and Health.

Seventeen teachers received their Diplomas at an event at the Lisburn Island Civic Centre on Tuesday March 19.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), offered Home Economics teachers in Northern Ireland the opportunity to obtain the Royal Society for Public Health Diploma in Nutrition and Health.

Jennifer McBratney the Health and Social Wellbeing Senior Officer (South Eastern area) said:

“The Diploma aims to equip teachers with a knowledge and understanding of the principles of nutrition and healthy eating, and to ensure that they are able to apply these principles in a practical way when delivering the curriculum. I would like to congratulate all those teachers who took part and worked hard to achieve the Diploma.”

Ruth Balmer from the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland said:

“I’m pleased to congratulate the teachers who approached this intense course with enthusiasm and dedication. I’m confident they now have the knowledge and skills to firmly place nutrition as the foundation in the delivery of the Home Economics syllabus.”

The course which was held at Greenmount campus in Antrim covered the following topics: nutrients; dietary requirements; digestion; food labelling; food trends and food processing and chronic illness.