SEAMEO RECFON organized the “Online Training on Nutrition and Health for School-Aged Children and Adolescents through the Implementation of the Nutrition Goes to School (NGTS) Program in Schools/Islamic Schools” on 15 April 2025. Running through June 2025, the training is delivered virtually using a blend of synchronous sessions via Zoom and asynchronous modules through SEAMOLEC’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform. This initiative is a joint effort between SEAMEO RECFON, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. By leveraging digital technology, the program offers a flexible, accessible, and effective learning experience for participants across the country.

The training was attended by principals, teachers, and education personnel from primary (elementary) and secondary schools (junior and senior high) across 147 regencies and cities in 32 provinces throughout Indonesia. A total of 492 participants joined the program, representing educational institutions recommended by the relevant ministries and SEAMEO RECFON’s program sites.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Herqutanto, MPH, MARS, Sp.KKLP—Director of SEAMEO RECFON—emphasized that nutrition and health issues among school-aged children and adolescents remain a critical concern in Indonesia. Citing data from the 2023 Indonesia Health Study (SKI), he noted a stunting prevalence of 14.1% among children and an anemia rate of 22.7% among adolescent girls. He stressed that “Schools and Islamic Schools play a strategic role as learning environments and habit-forming settings for healthy lifestyles. Therefore, efforts to improve child nutrition and health must not rely solely on the health sector; they require cross-sectoral collaboration—including with the education sector, which has direct and consistent access to students.”

The training features qualified resource persons delivering content in an interactive and practical manner. Among them is Catur Budi Santosa, S.E., M.Ak., from the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education, who presented on transforming schools into healthy environments by implementing nutrition and health policies at the school level. He underscored the importance of intersectoral collaboration in fostering school environments that support child development, through initiatives such as Healthy Canteens, the “My Plate” program, the Healthy Schools Movement, and periodic health services provided by community health centres. Additionally, the Building Learning Commitment session facilitated by Sari Kusuma, M.Gizi, from SEAMEO RECFON, was designed to cultivate an inclusive and collaborative online classroom atmosphere. In this session, participants were encouraged to get to know one another, form class organisations, and agree on learning commitments as a foundation for the training’s success.

Another key focus was the role of educators as role models in implementing nutrition and health programs. Dr. Zainun Misbah, M.Sc., from SEAMEO RECFON, highlighted that school principals, teachers, and educational personnel significantly influence the adoption of healthy habits within schools. Their exemplary behavior in practising clean and healthy living can inspire sustainable positive changes among students. Additional materials on child and adolescent nutrition and health were delivered by M. Ridwan Ansari, M.Gizi, from Ahmad Dahlan University. In his session, participants were guided to understand the physical and psychological characteristics of children and adolescents, along with common nutritional issues such as micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, and anemia. The session also introduced nutritional status assessment techniques using body weight and height measurements. Ridwan emphasised that a solid understanding by teachers and parents of children’s conditions is crucial in preventing nutritional problems early and fostering child-friendly and healthy school environments.

The training also covered other essential topics, including balanced nutrition guidelines, managing healthy school canteens, clean and healthy living behaviours, utilising school gardens for nutrition education, nutrition and entrepreneurship, integrating character education and religious curricula into healthy school programs, and developing lesson plans and microteaching practices for nutrition education. Participants also gained knowledge on managing the NGTS program and applying School/Islamic School (Madrasah)-Based Management (SBM/M) strategies to improve nutrition and health outcomes.

Throughout the training, all participants were supported by dedicated facilitators and were given access to educational materials and practical guidelines to support program implementation in their respective institutions, including tools to develop follow-up action plans. By strengthening educators’ capacities through this training, SEAMEO RECFON aims to foster a deeply rooted culture of healthy living in schools and Islamic schools, ultimately contributing to improved nutritional status and academic performance among students across Indonesia.