To think my DC shouldn't have to eat school lunch in silence

[CarlaVeloso]

My child has just told me that at school they have to eat lunch in silence. There's no dining room so they eat in the classroom.

I am stunned. I thought he must be wrong, that they must mean eat quietly without shouting but he insists they are not allowed to speak.

AIBU to find this really upsetting? I hate to think if my child (age 4) sitting in glum silence eating his sandwich frightened to look across at his friend in case it loses him his playtime.

Is this normal? I feel so

Don't automatically assume he's mistaken... This actually happened in our school a couple of years ago. After several parents asking WTF? were their children correct and what was the logic behind it?; she acknowledged that perhaps it wasn't the best policy to have implemented.
Teachers can get it (massively) wrong too, sometimes.

Unless the school is linked to a Trappist monastery, silence whilst eating, sounds pretty grim and unnecessary.

Would definitely want to check with the school that ds has interpreted the rule correctly, and if so would seriously question why. Meals are surely about sharing food, news and forming connections with others. It's like hell on legs if a dining hall is too noisy, but no talking sounds punitive and not something that would contribute to overall wellbeing imo.

Bit grim! When I was at primary, if it got too rowdy at lunch the rule was 'utter silence except for 'please', 'thank you' and 'sorry'-if-you-must'! Quite like that, as it manages to be a bit harsh and serious but acknowledge also that good manners must prevail even in extremis!

Have you spoken to the teacher - they probably know more about why they have implemented the policy than MN do.

So much for school being necessary to teach children social skills when a large chuck of their non classroom time seems to be spent in silence.

The eating bit of lunch time is usually a small part of their non classroom time tbh. Most primary schools now are short on space more than anything, and need to get children to eat and move on quickly. It's not replicating family meals or a time to relax and socialise - it's a time to get everyone fed.

BMO - that is a big part of what is wrong with the school system today, the endless measuring of children and schools.

Of course lunchtime should be about socialising, it is ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

One of the main reasons I send my child to school is to socialise.

Shame they are eating in their classroom.
Maybe if the classroom is where they sit quietly and don't shout the rest of the time they don't want that changing at lunch time.

I remember DCs munching a mouthful of lunch then dashing outside to play football. Perhaps something like this is happening.

In large primary schools children have to be served their fooD on a strict timetable or they would never manage to feed 500 or 600 students and provide them with somewhere to sit. I don't know why it requires silence though! That seems ridiculous.

Did you talk to the teacher yet OP?