To not see the big deal about Jewish and Muslim dc wearing red disks

[BrandNewAndImproved]

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-school-forces-muslim-and-jewish-pupils-to-wear-coloured-discs-a6669396.html

So basically it stops dc being given food they can't have at lunchtime and no way imo can it be compared to the yellow star.

I might be biased in that I am a school cook and before that a nursery cook where every dc had a placemat with their photo and dietary preference. Schools don't do this instead we have a list with photos on and what they can't have but we have had near misses with jelly for example. A child who couldn't have the jelly asked for the jelly knowing they couldn't have the jelly and luckily as soon as the server put the jelly on the plate the child said but I'm not allowed this it's not halal and she had a fresh new plate of food.

Something for the cooks to see in primary schools to avoid mix ups is a great idea. The only problem I see with what the French have done is not to do it for all dietary requirements like allergies and intolerances

And what do all the vegetarian children wear? Those with nut allergies?

Yup, the French do seem to be making a point about ethnicity rather than food issues.

Not for the first time and I wonder when/if the EU will caution them/show any displeasure at all?

I'm of the opinion that if a child wants to sneak a jelly at school then they should blinking well be able to!

I don't agree with marking them out, the negative connotations are myriad.

Kids with allergies are another ballgame entirely.

I think it's revolting and absolutely smacks of having to wear a gold star.

Halal and kosher are different, I work in a school and the meat isn't halal but in a school nearby where the majority are Muslim they have halal or they would spend all their budget on quorn. That's nothing to do with underhand secretly trying to get us to eat prayed over meat fgs.

I can totally see why the school thought this would be easier, a lot of younger children wouldn't ask for a different meal to their friend or even realise they should have one.
Also, i wouldn't expect the people serving to 'know' that little johnny needs x meal and little jenny needs Y.

But i can also see why people would feel a similarity and a literal labelling - although with young children I'm not sure of a way round it without separating or labelling the child in some way.

There are so many ways of doing this without identifying those belonging to a religious group.

Well said scatteroflight - spot on!

I agree with you. There's no harm in children earning something that identifies them as having specific dietary requirements, but you're right that they should be worn by children with allergies as well. It could be very useful, and I can see how it would make the job a huge amount easier.

Parents could have the option of opting their children out if they don't want them to be identified, but then they'd have to be aware that they run the risk of their child having food that the parents don't want them to have.

Why is it global it's only at lunchtime to make sure they don't eat the wrong food.

In my school we often get dc that can't speak English and are from the middle east. We don't get told whether they can eat the meat or not and give them quorn to be on the safe side until the teacher has a word with the parent, this could be misconstrued their parents could be any religion but we would lose our jobs by making a mistake.

I don't think it's 'special treatment' to want to be given food you can eat.

Allergies aren't catered for in French school canteens. Nor are vegetarians.

it's a good idea vegetarians could get green badges? and different colours for allergies perhaps children with no food issues should get a badge too so everyone fits in?

I don't agree with this though I see why the catering staff might want them to.
I would give every child a coloured disc pertaining to their specific meal, and they can hand it over at the serving hatch.

Yes, Scatteroflight we all know someone who's been radicalised by a sneaky halal burger.

If the children are too young to recognise what they should eat, you are pandering to their parent's religious preferences rather than their own needs and wants

If everyone had a food card (or placemat, like OP's nursery) then it would be fine to use them to indicate clearly if there were restrictions (for any reason, whether allergy, ethics, religion or anything else).

Badges just for some? No, unfortunate historic legacy, and unpleasant 'othering'

So they are not allowed to wear religious symbols of choice in French schools but the state can mark them out as different anyway?

Allergies aren't catered for in French school canteens. Nor are vegetarians.

France doesn't sound so secular now, does it?

France doesn't sound so secular now, does it?
What do you mean?

The introduction of meals catering to Muslims and Jews with religious dietary requirements has happened after a lot of negotiation.

Brandnew - The difference goes far beyond it being "meat that has been prayed on" though, doesn't it? I would prefer dd not to have to eat Halal because I think it's a cruel method of slaughter, and it's done in the name of a religion she doesn't follow. I feel the same about Kosher.

In the nurseries I've worked at dc had red placemats for severe allergies and green for veggies, yellow for intolerances and I think blue for halal. Obviously in primary schools this couldn't work as they don't sit in the same places everyday but with the huge numbers of fsm for infants it could really help.

The photos of the dc with dietary requirements are rubbish and with 3 classes of 90 for the 3 years plus juniors on top something like this would be so helpful and stop mistakes before they're made. Human error happens, staff go out sick and covers come in mistakes are bound to happen sooner or later.

If the French don't cater to allegies or veggies then I can see why we've automatically thought oh they're marking them out due to religion.

The article says: "Staff at the Piedalloues primary school in Auxerre, Burgundy, ordered students who did not eat pork to wear red discs, while those who did not eat meat were handed yellow versions."

So it sounds as if a) vegetarians are catered for b) the obligation to wear a disc was not confined to religious groups.

And it was only at lunchtime, apparently - it's not as if they wore the discs round their necks all day. So not as bad as it might first seem.

wasonthelist my friend works in a slaughter house he says the only difference between the normal meat and the halal is that there is a tape recording of prayers in the halal slaughter room and they still get stunned before having their throats slashed. If we were in a Muslim country obviously the halal method would be applied properly.