DS having school lunch sat on the floor, AIBU?

[Honeybadgerdontgiveashit]

Long story short, building work as DS school has over run massively during summer holidays. Class rooms and hall remain unfinished.
Fair enough, no surprise, but these things happen.

School dinner pupils are eating in the halls, packed lunch pupils are eating packed lunch sat on the classroom floor.
This could go on until christmas.

His teacher was unable to offer an explanation as to why they could not sit at tables and chairs in the classroom. I suspect just so it saves them wiping them afterwards.

AIBU in thinking this is a bit off? He is in year 1, I'm not usually a germ freak, but this doesn't seem right to me. When I asked his teacher if she would eat her lunch sat on the floor everyday she said Yes! Of course I would and looked at me like I was mad!

Please tell me if I am being unreasonable, as I have PMT, and I am really not sure.

Thanks

I've read the thread and I'm far from obtuse. Can you explain to me what was meant by 'lack of respect' in this context?

I'm not sure where I've implied there was any shame in cleaning.

There is no lack of respect for the children, not ever.....

Would you suggest they get rid of a teacher to fund a couple of extra lunch time staff. Or that they shut the school whilst the hall is being upgraded (in the OPs case - until Christmas!!)?

Having 60 kids in one classroom for lunch means all the tables get pushed against the wall and the kids eat on the floor - there is NO other space. Take a look at your child's classroom next time and see where you would fit 60 kids with 60 lunchboxes and room to walk to the sink and the bin and get safely out of the door.......

Or should they be in 2 classrooms, with associated choking/safety hazards. Or maybe parents should come in and help, or take their kids home for lunch - it is allowed.....

It is not a low expectation to have to eat lunch on the mat... it is everybody mucking in over a difficult time... teaching a bit of resilience, rather than having everything laid on all the time.

The schools don't get these sort of complaints in the summer when the kids sit out on the field - on the grass and earth - to eat their food - in fact parents complain that the kids who eat hot food can't do so......

Marriedfear not I've taught in countless schools which values mealtimes,the vast maj of schools imvho would simply you know think out of the box and enable proper mealtime arrangements.

The fact remains every single school caretaker I know is uber precious re carpets and within a week of ground in Frubes,crisps etc x 30(in every classroom) would have tendered their resignation.The trauma re glitter at Xmas on said carpets near enough gave every school cleaner I know a coronary.

My friend's dd is in a private convent school,they take in their own cloth napkin every week.

And I have also read the whole thread and feel I live on a completely different planet to the posters who are up in arms about this. But apparently I'd know no better as I'm like an animal because we sometimes sit on the floor to eat.

I sit on the floor now and again however not every day,not on a scummy impossible to clean carpet and I don't need to be taught table standards at 45.

YABU - at the school I attended, all the pupils with packed lunches used to have to eat them outside (whatever the weather). So sitting on the floor for a few weeks isn't going to harm them.

Midnitescribbler I don't believe anyone on this thread is discussing what does or does not take place routinely in Australia's private school system. We are discussing what happens in the british state primary sector where incidentally we spell night differently from you too.

My Australian nephews don't use please and thank you as a matter of course either but no doubt you think that's acceptable too.

I don't need the school to teach my child table manners. If the carpet is that scummy then it isn't good enough to sit on even for a story so you should take it up with the school. but it's not as it's cleaned every day and shampooed every half term usually

There have been several comments expressing offence at the suggestion that any member of staff clean up after children. Parents and children have been referred to as precious and difficult for wanting most meals to be eaten at a table.
I think most people have agreed that sitting on the floor is not a big deal. And that picnics can be fun.
But in reference to the op, ppl questioned why the tables could not be used. That is a reasonable question.
Clearly many schools are over crowded and under staffed. Is everyone supposed to just be ok with that?
I think that the tone of some of the ppl who have told us they work in schools has been derisory towards children and parents. I suspect it comes from a defensiveness following any criticism of school procedure.

PresidentServalan (I loved Blake's seven!!) I agree - my kids are at secondary school now and have to eat their packed lunch outdoors - they have "shelters" - consisting of a bit of playground with a canopy and some railings to perch on..... or the ground... outside....

And schools do not teach table standards, parents do.

Staffing levels at schools are NOT the same as 20/30/more years ago. Teachers do not eat in the hall with the children....(if there is one), teachers often go out at lunchtime to get the stuff of life done - a lot of schools only have a small hall nowadays with no room to set up tables individually - in our packed little hall they are in 3 rows of 5 tables, each seating 8 kids on benches, all shunted up together... good luck in teaching table standards.... with 2 serving staff and one mid day supervisor for the 120 kids.

Madeof - that sounds like my primary school 35 years ago in Kent. The teachers didn't eat with us, and we ate in the PE hall. We had minimal supervision, but crucially parents saw the teaching of table manners as their role, not the schools.

Marriedinwhite- have you been practicing being rude or does it come naturally?

I thought the thread was about sitting on the floor to eat lunch while a hall is being renovated

I agree with madeof its a temporary thing in this case, great British upper lip and all that

married a bit below the belt comment to midnite, basing an entire countries manners on your apparently bad mannered family

Marriedinwhite - You're a shining example of the superiority of the british system to an Australian one. Those of us in the antipodes can only aspire to your society and dream about the day that the servants wipe down our tables for us. Because after all, it is only when your tables are being wiped by those that you consider a lower class than yourself that you know you have truly made it in life. We bow down to our colonial superiors. I'm sure your nephews lack of manners is based on the fact that they realise their superiority to us lowly convicts and treat us all accordingly.

What does 'we spell night differently from you mean?'

Sounds like rudeness runs in your family married.

midnite

No homes don't teach manners.Most children don't have family meals or sit at tables at home.Many can't use a knife and fork when they start and have appalling manners.

Carpet cleaned every day,yeah in your dreams.A quick Hoover does not a clean make.I'll wager the cost of carpet cleaning would rocket 2 weeks in with the amount of crap your typical KS 1 class could grind into said carpet.

Every primary school I've worked in has had a carpet washer, similar to a vax.

It cannot be easier to vac a carpet than wipe a table.

Schools are precious about things getting dirty ime and teachers are proud of their classrooms as they spend all day in them. I doubt any teacher will let a carpet become so messy it's a health hazard,I just don't believe it'll happen.

there are not enough tables, chairs, or enough physical room to seat all the children... except for on the floor... in our case.

I would like to know how to solve the problem... you cannot spend ANY money on it, so no extra staff, and no extra time... You have

a) a small hall that seats 120 pupils at tables at a squash - around 160 pupils eat hot dinner + 12 allergy sufferers. 2 servers + 1 dinner lady for safety.

b) between 40 and 60 reception children (packed lunch) - you have 2 dinner ladies - you have to supervise the children inside AND outside.

c) Between 120 and 180 infants (packed lunch) - you have 2 dinner ladies - you have to supervise children inside and out.

d) between 200 and 240 juniors (packed lunch) - you have no staff... the other staff + the only 2 TAs who have lunchtime hours have to cover the safety of these children.

The hall is used all day for PE, multiple assemblies and for some topic work where space is needed - so cannot be used outside of lunch hour for staggered lunches.

All the children have 1 hour for lunch. All the dinner ladies are paid for 1 hour and 10min (10 min setting up tables in the hall at the start of lunch - clearing away - which takes 15min - has to be part of the hour - and all the children still have to be looked after.)

There is no money, parents were asked to volunteer, none did.

(our solution was they sit on the floor to eat, more than one class of kids to a classroom where they can be watched)

oh - and whatever happens school is open, the kids are there and their safety is paramount... not being able to handle it is not an option...

Well our school manage it.

Waaaay more kids than that and 1 hall.They stagger it,not a big issue.

Re teachers being previous over carpets.Not exactly theirremit.You do your best but considering you wouldn't be there to supervise,what do you suggest - everybody takes turns with the Vax x15 classes after lunch.

The fact remains you have to meet environmental health,food hygiene standards- this wouldn't.

I'll wager if Ofsted rang said head teacher would sort it out pdq.