• Unfortunately, discussions on child malnutrition are often confined to hospitals, maternal clinics, and nutrition programmes
• Nutrition education should be integrated into the early childhood curricula

Sri Lanka has long been recognised for its remarkable achievements in education and health. Free education and healthcare, and high literacy rates have enabled the country to achieve social indicators that surpass many Nations with a similar economic status. Yet, beneath these successes lies a silent crisis that threatens the future of the country's education system and its human capital development. The growing burden of malnutrition among children under five years of age is no longer merely a health issue; it is an education crisis and a National development challenge that demands urgent, coordinated action.

The latest National nutrition data paints a worrying picture. Sixteen per cent of children under five are underweight, 10.1 per cent are stunted, and 8.6 per cent suffer from wasting. These statistics mean that approximately one out of every six Sri Lankan children begin life with a nutritional disadvantage that can permanently affect their physical growth, brain development, learning ability, and future productivity. According to the World Health Organisation classifications, both stunting and wasting in Sri Lanka remain issues of medium public health significance, indicating that child malnutrition continues to be a serious national concern.

Unfortunately, discussions on child malnutrition are often confined to hospitals, maternal clinics, and nutrition programmes. This narrow perspective overlooks its profound impact on education. Every malnourished child entering preschool or primary school carries an invisible disadvantage that limits his or her ability to benefit fully from the education system. Therefore, improving nutrition is not only an investment in health but also an investment in educational quality, economic growth, and national competitiveness.

Learning begins before a child enters school

Education does not begin on the first day of Grade One. It begins from conception and continues throughout the first five years of life, when the human brain undergoes its most rapid period of growth and development. During this period, billions of neural connections are formed, creating the foundation for memory, language, reasoning, creativity, attention, and emotional regulation.

Adequate nutrition is essential for this process. Protein, iron, iodine, zinc, essential fatty acids, and other micronutrients support the development of brain cells and neural pathways. When these nutrients are lacking, brain development slows, resulting in long-lasting cognitive deficits that cannot be fully reversed later in life.

Consequently, malnourished children often enter school with a reduced learning capacity. They may struggle to understand instructions, remember lessons, communicate effectively, and participate confidently in classroom activities. The educational disadvantage begins long before teachers have the opportunity to intervene.

The hidden crisis in our classrooms

Education policymakers frequently discuss curriculum reforms, teacher quality, digital learning, and examination systems. While these are important, one fundamental question often receives insufficient attention to the quality of the learner. Can a hungry child learn effectively? The answer is simple: no. Malnourished children arrive at preschool and primary school already disadvantaged. They are often less active, less curious, and less able to concentrate. They become tired easily and struggle to retain new information.

Teachers may mistakenly interpret these children as slow learners or lacking motivation, when in reality they are experiencing the lifelong consequences of inadequate nutrition during early childhood. Research consistently demonstrates that malnutrition is associated with: Lower intelligence and cognitive performance; Reduced attention span and concentration; Delayed language and communication skills; Poor memory retention; Lower achievement in mathematics and literacy; Increased absenteeism due to illness; Higher rates of grade repetition; and Increased risk of school dropout. Therefore, the learning gap begins long before a child enters Grade One.

Research consistently demonstrates that children who suffer from undernutrition achieve lower scores in literacy and numeracy, experience greater learning difficulties, miss more school days due to illness, and require additional support throughout their education. These challenges reduce the overall effectiveness of investments made in improving educational quality.

Inequalities begin before school

Malnutrition is not evenly distributed across the country. Significant disparities exist between Districts, income groups, and communities. Estate populations, urban underserved settlements, and economically disadvantaged rural families continue to experience disproportionately high levels of child malnutrition.

The Nuwara Eliya District consistently reports some of the highest nutritional deficiencies in the country, with stunting exceeding 30 per cent and the underweight prevalence significantly above the National average. These children begin preschool and primary education with disadvantages that are unrelated to intelligence or motivation but are directly linked to inadequate nutrition during early childhood.

Human capital starts in early childhood

Sri Lanka aims to become a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation, productivity, and skilled human resources. Achieving this vision requires investments in human capital from the earliest stages of life.

Human capital is not created at university or through vocational training alone. It is built from the moment that a child is conceived and strengthened during the first 1,000 days and early childhood years. Good nutrition provides the foundation upon which education, skills development, and lifelong productivity are built.

Nutrition should therefore be recognised as one of the highest-return investments in National development. Every Rupee invested in improving child nutrition contributes to better educational outcomes, healthier populations, and stronger economic performance.

A multi-sectoral response is essential

The causes of child malnutrition extend far beyond the health sector. Household poverty, maternal nutrition, food security, dietary diversity, parental education, sanitation, access to early childhood services, and social protection all influence the nutritional status of children.

No single Ministry or institution can address these interconnected challenges alone.

Education has a particularly important role to play. Preschools and primary schools should become centres for nutrition awareness, growth monitoring, healthy eating promotion, parent education, and the early identification of developmental delays., while school meal programmes should be strengthened to ensure that children are ready to learn.

Likewise, social protection programmes should prioritise vulnerable families, especially in estate communities and urban low-income settlements, where nutritional risks remain the highest.

From policy to practice

Sri Lanka already possesses a strong policy framework. The National Nutrition Policy 2021–2030 identifies nutrition improvement throughout the life cycle as a National priority and clearly emphasises multisectoral collaboration. The policy aims to reduce stunting among children under five to 10 per cent and wasting to five per cent by 2030.

The country has successfully overcome many public health challenges through a collective National commitment. 

A call for national action

The quality of education cannot be measured solely by examination results, curriculum reforms, or digital classrooms. It must also be measured by the readiness of children to learn.

When thousands of children enter preschool and primary school with nutritional deficiencies that limit their ability to concentrate, think, and participate, the entire education system is affected. Investments in teachers, infrastructure, and learning resources cannot achieve their full impact unless children are physically and cognitively prepared to benefit from them.

Child malnutrition is therefore not simply a health statistic. It is a warning signal about the future quality of Sri Lanka's education system and the country's human capital.

Addressing under-five malnutrition should become a National priority that unites the education, health, agriculture, and social protection sectors under a common objective: ensuring that every Sri Lankan child has the opportunity to grow, learn, and achieve his or her full potential.

The future of the Nation depends not only on the schools that we build but also on the healthy minds that we nurture. Investing in child nutrition today is one of the most effective strategies for securing quality education, reducing inequality, and building a stronger and more prosperous Sri Lanka for generations to come.

The writer has a Master of Science in Food and Nutrition, and is a former Chairperson of the National Education Commission

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The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication