To think that you just can’t leave kids without a meal?

[FrizzyMcFrizzface]

We have just been informed that the school dinner provider will no longer provide a lunch (primary school) if the account is not in credit. The school will contact the parents to bring in a pack lunch if that is the case.

I understand the provider is fed up of being in debt but surely you can’t leave a child without dinner for the day? If the parents can’t be contacted for whatever reason or are too far away at work/no relatives nearby etc.

There are always those days for all of us where with the best will in the world you forget or there is some sort of emergency/crisis. AIBU to think this is wrong and in those emergency/rare situations a meal should be provided?

I'm a secondary school business manager and provision of school lunches falls within my remit. I always feed students for a maximum of two days then I'm on the phone asking for money. It's simply a matter of not punishing the child, not letting debt build up and being pragmatic.

Having read that I sound like Mary Poppins don't I, but the kids hate me and think I'm mean because I won't let them have a slice of pizza and a bottle of pop at break time. It's a pasta pot or sandwich with fruit only at lunchtime.

When my children were at school, school meals were paid for in advance at the start of the year. If they were off there were no refunds. Much easier for all concerned.

No problem, all the in debt parents have to do is pick their kids up at lunchtime and take them to a MacDonalds and demand a free meal from them.

I believe parents should get a chance to pay or explain there situation within two days to the school, if no payment or explanation then a letter explaining they are neglecting there child I sure most parent would pay pretty quick then once they see it for what it is neglect.

When my children were at school, school meals were paid for in advance at the start of the year. If they were off there were no refunds. Much easier for all concerned

How is that easier for the parents who can't even afford to pay a week ahead?

Stunning lack of awareness by the school of the fact that people simply can't stump up a whole term's lunch money in advance, was this a state school?

flake

They are not entitled to FSM until their claim is sorted and often even then in a lot of areas they are being told they aren’t elligable despite being eligible

Why should the children be the school food providers, priority?
Excuses of forgetfulness to top up the account seem silly because if your child eating food is so important then you'd make that a priority and not forget. If you made the mistake once of forgetting, surely you learn from it? Of course everyone has busy lives but being organised doesn't cost much. Its almost like it's fine to blame it on someone else but ultimately if you have a child(ren) you take care of the child(ren). Unfortunately, some people in this country don't take responsibility for many things and their own children are sadly one of the things that are in that list.

Agree with user1497445266

I hope the school and food provider have got really careful systems in place to decide who has paid and who hasn’t.

We had a series of increasingly nasty letters from the school about refusing to pay for DD’s lunches, including threatening debt collection at one point. We’d paid by parent pay but because I’d paid on the day the invoice came out, not after the due date they ‘hadn’t remembered to log it’.

And no, I don't think that any child should go hungry at school. Parents should be more involved and aware of their child's school life instead of blaming others for something that could be avoided and not put their child in an upsetting situation.

We’d paid by parent pay but because I’d paid on the day the invoice came out, not after the due date they ‘hadn’t remembered to log it’.

Any particular reason to pay so late that they had to send invoices?
Surely it wasn't the day after.

@Lweji. The school always send invoices - they require payment termly and issue an invoice on the last day of the term before for the next one with payment required by the start of the next term.

They didn't seem able to deal with people paying on the day the invoice was issued, and didn't bother to check that payment had been made. They apparently expected people to pay on Day 1 of the next school term and didn't look at payments made before that date.

Different schools use different systems, and just because its different to your school doesn't mean that my payment was either late or not made.