蘇格蘭East Ayrshire地方政府最近宣布，將利用其自身資源鼓勵其所在區域的16500名學生選擇更加健康的學校晚餐。

從11月起，居住在East Ayrshire的學生都將為幫助本土農業發展、食品銷售以及本土銷售渠道的建設而得到相應的獎勵分數。該項目是由當地一個名為“救助兒童”的基金會所發起的。

據悉，該項目是英國第一個以物質獎勵來鼓勵孩子們養成更健康的飲食習慣。獎勵中不乏iPods隨身聽，音樂會入場券以及書店代金券等等頗具誘惑力的獎品。為此，孩子們僅僅需要更多的在學校享用健康晚餐從而避免到校外去買那些垃圾食品。

A Scottish council which pioneered locally sourced and organic school meals is to offer all its 16,500 pupils the chance to earn "ethical" reward points for overseas aid by eating healthy school dinners.

From November, schoolchildren in East Ayrshire will earn points to help buy farm animals, food supplies and medical supplies and equip classrooms for projects run by development charity Save the Children.

The project is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, and is seen as a more "holistic" strategy for encouraging healthy eating than schemes that reward children with iPods, concert tickets and book tokens for eating school dinners.

East Ayrshire is one of many councils trying to combat unhealthy eating and increase the numbers eating school meals. Scots have among the worst diets in Europe, but new legislation to improve school catering in 2006, partly influenced by Jamie Oliver's campaigning, led to a fall in pupils taking school meals.

The project is expected to earn at least ￡3,250 towards Save the Children gifts over the next six months. To reach that target, pupils must eat 650,000 school dinners. Every 10 meals earns one point, with the points pooled into a fund.

Children at the 44 primary schools and nine secondaries will then vote on how to spend their points, choosing items from Save the Children's online donations catalogue. Current gifts range from 40 chickens, at a cost of 15 points, to a bicycle for 780 points and classrooms for 12,500.

Robin Gourlay, the council official who devised the scheme, said: "It's about making a difference; even if it's a small difference, that's worthwhile."

If the six-month pilot succeeds, it will be extended for another year.

（內容提供：英國使館文化教育處，英語點津 Helen 編輯）