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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to pay £1 per day for my child to eat packed lunch at school

134 replies

cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 14:30

school have decied those who bring packed lunch should pay £1 per day to sit and eat it in the canteen...(run by a private contractor)

if they provide juice/fruit for my child yes i would pay.

but not for just the space?

OP posts:
landofmakebelieve · 04/09/2013 16:10

Shock That's outrageous! YADDDDDNBU, I'd be fuming! So that's what, £10 a week if you have two kids? Not. A. Chance. would I be paying that.

Ledkr · 04/09/2013 16:12

What does the money pay for then?
Never heard anything so ridiculous.

burberryqueen · 04/09/2013 16:14

i wonder if it is the Lycee Francais?

phantomnamechanger · 04/09/2013 16:16

Hmm, I can see both sides TBH - not saying its great but if they have contracted out to a "care provider" for the lunch hour, then even packed lunch pupils are being supervised/cleared up after etc etc

if the school has separate dinner ladies/supervisors however, then this catering firm are taking the piss and being allowed to by the school!

AngelDelightIsIndeedDelightful · 04/09/2013 16:19

Just another way for a private contractor to get money. Disgusting.

Where in the op does it say the contractor is getting the money? This sounds more like an extra income stream for the school to me. BrokenSunglasses is almost certainly right, the school will be losing out for packed lunch pupils and has decided to put a stop to it. Not at all morally right and not something that would be legal in a state school, but this isn't a state school. It's pay your money or take your choice really isn't it.

Wearehamandcheese · 04/09/2013 16:25

I cannot believe you have to pay for your kids to eat THEIR own lunch that YOU provided.

I'd tell my kids to eat in the playground. Ffs that's ridiculous.

Bonsoir · 04/09/2013 16:26

You are paying for lunch time supervision.

Bonsoir · 04/09/2013 16:28

My DD's school charges ?10 per day to eat a packed lunch. Think yourself lucky!

Mumof3xx · 04/09/2013 16:29

Bonsoir how much for a school dinner then?

motownmover · 04/09/2013 16:30

Surely not Bonsoir - what country?? and Why??

curlew · 04/09/2013 16:31

I hate it when I get all indignant, then it turns out to be a private school.

Private schools can do practically anything they like. It goes with the territory, and what a lot of private school parents pay for. You can't have it both ways.

mumofthemonsters808 · 04/09/2013 16:31

I'm disgusted, I'd ask for my children to eat their lunch in the playground.

Spinstrel · 04/09/2013 16:34

Got to be a French school, charging £3.85 for a school lunch! But it sounds like they either want to force you to eat their gourmet cuisine, or to raise money somehow.
Agree you should join with other parents to refuse, and maybe offer to help with other means of fundraising if necessary?

Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:34

the bilingual education was the appeal...
of course I accepted matriculation fee and any rises in that as part of the deal.

so it is ok to charge a fee to sit down if it isnt a UK State school/academy/voluntary aided? regardless - suddenly charing a fee to sit down is unreasonable right?

no, nothing to do with uk govt.

i guess you could say you cant go in a coffeee shop and sit and bring your own coffee - but that IS different right? you can choose to ahve coffeee or not - child cannot choose not to have lunch...

it's part of the school premises. I already pay for the child to go into the school, fee is for cleaners, dinner ladies etc.

OP posts:
MrsDeVere · 04/09/2013 16:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

goodiegoodieyumyum · 04/09/2013 16:35

Your lucky if you live in the Netherlands you have to pay for children to stay at school for lunch, my dd's school will only allow that for people who are working as it keeps the cost down so I have to take her home for lunch every day.

EhricLovesTeamQhuay · 04/09/2013 16:36

?10 per day bonsoir? Surely a typo?

Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:36

it's not a private school like the ones charging 3000 or 4000 per term...

it is a state school of that country operating abroad.

if not of the nationality then students pay less than £4,000 per YEAR (1,500 per term) .

OP posts:
Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:39

there is a lot of fundraising by parents bake sales etc to buy equipment for the school

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 04/09/2013 16:40

£4000 per year sounds pretty private/exclusive to me!

Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:41

ok so in europe and some private schools it is a done thing?

to pay for sitting in canteen to eat a packed lunch?

OP posts:
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/09/2013 16:42

But it isn't a UK state school, is it? I would think that £20 a month plus £250 a year matriculation is a small price to pay for a bilingual education. You wouldn't get an hour of decent tutoring a month for £20, would you?

Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:42

exclusive if you not of the nationality - my kids are of the nationality ue to mixed parents.

it is intended for kids of that nationality who are in uk for whatever reason and want to follow that country's curriculum...eg some who come as ex pat for couple years.

OP posts:
Original poster
cestlavielife · 04/09/2013 16:44

"You wouldn't get an hour of decent tutoring a month for £20, would you?"

tis a good point...

it's the lack of consultation though

OP posts:
WeAreEternal · 04/09/2013 16:45

We have to pay £5 per week if you have a packed lunch for 'use of the facilities' at DS's school.

Their justification is that this payment covers the extra supervisors and for the clean up.

Packed lunch children are allowed use of the cutlery/dishes/cups and are allowed water with their lunch.
They have a second dining hall and packed lunch children are encouraged to use the second hall, but it's not mandatory.

A hot school lunch is £3.10 a day.

Oh and it is a state school but nobody seems to mind paying the fee.

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