A Lunch for All Children

Last fall the Professor had the opportunity to work with a man who was a retired educator. He was a scientist who had worked to teach the next generation. Before retiring he was the president of a university in northern Finland. The two of them had been asked to interview Finnish applicants for Fulbright grants. The people they spoke with were hoping to go to the United States to study for the year 2012 to 2013.

As they worked together, the professor grew to admire and respect his fellow worker. He and Ossi met over three days. They would read and study a group of applications overnight and then talk to the applicants the next morning.

In Finnish society the meal in the middle of the day is the large or main meal of each day. As the two men talked, the professor learned that the school system of Finland feeds the children lunch every day. Making sure that the children are fed and nourished is part of the educators' mandate.

As with all nations in Europe during WW II, Finland suffered from lack of food. Even though there was little to eat, the schools continued to feed the children a meal during the day. Ossi remembers that frequently the only food to eat was a beet.