Chinese youths brought into anti-waste campaign

BEIJING - The Ministry of Education has called on every school and kindergarten to draft detailed measures for preventing food waste and promoting the spirit of frugality among students.

According to a circular released Thursday, primary and middle schools across the country should arrange special personnel to supervise students' dining habits, as well as incorporate students' frugality performances into the evaluation of their all-around qualities and the student award system.

A boy shows his empty food tray during a food waste awareness campaign at Suzhou Shan Geng Shi Yan elementary school, Suzhou city, Jiangsu province on Feb 26, 2013. The school launched the program at the start of the new semester to cut waste.[By Zhu Guigen /Asianewsphoto]

The work evaluation and income levels of schoolmasters and teachers should also be partly based on the results of each school's frugality campaign.

The circular advised a series of frugality-themed activities such as promoting awareness and methods on conserving water and food, social research on food consumption and the use of water and paper.

According to the circular, in a bid to teach students to truly respect laborers and their work, schools in urban areas should organize campaigns for students to experience the agricultural production process, while rural schools should popularize knowledge on farming and raising livestock.

Colleges are also urged to check their students' frugality performance during dining, according to a separate circular released Thursday by the ministry.