The purpose of this study was to investigate students' and parents' perceptions of nutrition education. In this survey, 7,577 elementary school students and 6,003 of their parents across the country were surveyed about the necessity of implementing nutrition education, its present status and problems and future methods for nutrition education implementation. The results showed that 96.6% of the parents and 62.8% of the students responded that nutrition education was urgently needed, at least once per week in the lower grades of elementary school, and that it should be related to and coordinated with special activities class. In addition, the survey showed that students and their parents wanted nutrition teachers to establish a nutrition counseling room, a practical cooking class, a special activity class, and/or dietary camp during school breaks. With regard to the status of nutrition education at home, there was statistical evidence that suggests significant differences between urban and rural schools. Approximately 63% of the parents indicated that they had difficulty teaching nutrition education in their own homes, because it was difficult to determine the dietary habits and nutritional status of their children. When asked about attending a dietary class for parents, 74% expressed their intent to attend. Parents were most interested in learning about cooking practices, diet therapy, and food information in that order. The results showed that the most effective method of dietary education was to teach appropriate nutritional practices in school and at home simultaneously. Hence, necessary information and education should be provided through special lectures, special cooking classes, and dietary classes for parents. The conclusions of this study suggest that a variety of education programs should be developed to achieve effective nutrition education for students and their parents.