To think that free breakfast at school is a bad idea due to the quality?

France doesn't offer free breakfast to all children. People can either pay for better quality or accept what their given for free and be greatful. Can't you see where we are at as a country cutting disability benefits, carers allowance, heating allowance. Their is no money where else do you want the money taking from to feed these kids an organic wholemeal cream cheese a salmon bagel. Should we take it out the nhs or hospice care 🤔. Either feed your kid at home or accept what's offered.

I think you'll find that there is more financial investment into school meals in France than there is here, via the School Meals Coalition.

It depends on the area here in France. When we were living in a left wing area they had a scaled system where parents paid between 30cents and 8€ a day for the school meal depending on income, same for pre and post school clubs. In right wind areas where the population generally have more money it’s a flat rate for everyone, the menu is excellent regardless though but no options other than a special meal for dairy, gluten free and vegetarian.

I agree OP schools should not be lining up their pupils for obesity, diabetes and cardiac issues in later life.

We have a year 7 who is fed by school every morning - a bagel and a hot chocolate. Without that she’d have nothing. That way she can focus, school provides her uniform and washes it too.
Youre in a very privileged position if all you have to worry about is upfs. Making sure children are clean, dressed and not hungry is my priority.

Most schools here are like this for lunch

Why assume it’s children who would not otherwise be fed -surely it’s DC with both parents working at breakfast club.

When your household income is high enough to be able to spend a greater % of said income on food that isn’t UPF, then you shouldn’t be commenting about children being given free food that stops them feeling hungry for the day. And don’t come back at me with ‘UPF free food can be cheap as well as nutritious’ claims, it’s just not true.

I think it's important for schools to offer breakfast to those kids that need it. It might not be the healthiest food, but realistically the parents of those children getting breakfast at school might not have the desire or the means to provide a healthy balanced breakfast. If it's a choice between no breakfast and a breakfast that isn't particularly nutritious, especially for a hungry, growing child with a day of lessons ahead, it's a no-brainer. Better funding is the answer, but with so many critical areas being underfunded I won't hold my breath.

A fantastic, healthy breakfast is best but toast and processed cereal is much better than nothing. You seem to think nothing should be provided if it can't meet your ideal.

Agree that a school meals here are not good.

i left my husband when ds was 9. We had to move from an affluent area (and school meals were okish) to a deprived area. New school. Ds came home saying his packed lunches were often stolen (they were as he came home without the containers).

some children starving as no lunch or packed with a bag af crisps and a chocolate bar.

I know some teachers were bringing in food.

awful so free anything for kids is good imho. Right now many children are hungry so I’m not that bothered by quality (as this isn’t Italy) but give them food to at least fuel their school day. We’re a long way off from decent school / hospital food.

Our standards are so low in this country, it's depressing

I am South East London, never heard of one in state school.

The only kids I know who have access to these are in private schools.

Make their own yogurt? What planet are you on?

Some posters on this thread seem not to realise that there are children who go to school with nothing to eat and no parental input. Talk about privilege.

Only some parents of course.

School haven’t got time to be making toast and buttering bread, it’s a pre wrapped brioche roll or a pre wrapped soreen with a carton on milk, a piece of fruit on the side. Our school is in a deprived area si we have had breakfast provided for over 10years.

Honestly teachers don’t have the time to be pouring milk and washing bowls, it’s a cheap filling breakfast, and if you’ve not eaten anything it fills your tummy!

So what do you suggest parents pay £5 a day for their child to have breakfast at school. I'd love to see how well that would go down.

School could even teach the kids to make their own yoghurt.
😆 of course!!PRIORITIES!!

Just read this so fair enough…

But still, for a lot of kids something is better than nothing and we definitely do not have the capacity in school to be teaching children to make fruit yogurt every morning!

What UPFs do you mean? Bread? Cereal?
Is that really the worst thing in the world. Maybe peanut butter instead of nutella and fruit and fibre instead of coco pops.

I doubt many families are serving their children home made yogurt or multi grain porridge in the morning.

Don't let the perfect be an enemy of the good.

My friend works in a school and has had to buy jumpers for her students and take uniform home to wash it as they are coming into school wearing filthy clothes, unbathed and hungry.

Making yoghurt will not be high on her list and a bowl of cornflakes although processed will make sure a child can actually learn as they are not starving.

I don't think some people realise the issues some schools face honestly.