to have mixed feelings about this school's actions

[brizzledrizzle]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46877217

The school have some parents who have not been paying for their children's school lunches to the extent that the school are owed £1000. They have now said that children may be given toast or a bread roll for lunch if their parents owe over £10. It's only affecting pupils in year 3-6 as the others get a universal free school meal.

I'm in two minds about it, parents need to take responsibility for paying for their children (or applying for free school meals if eligible) but the school have a responsibility to the children to educate them and if they've had a couple of slices of toast then are they going to be able to concentrate properly in the afternoons if they are hungry?
If they are from poor families then the school lunch might be their only decent meal so it's going to affect their nutrition if their parents can't/won't provide a nutritious meal. Maybe the school need to do more to raise awareness of applying for free school meals?
I can't make my mind up really if they are right or wrong to do this.

Our local authority has just changed policy for school dinners at primary to bring it online with the Secondary schools. You cannot go into debt at all, if there's not enough money on the account your child won't get a dinner. As we are in Wales there's no universal free meals for infants pupils this is includes pupils from reception to year 2 as well. Only those eligible for free dinners get them if they apply.

I think your post should be titled "I have mixed feelings about these parents actions"

diefen Pupil premium is additional funding the school receives for children from low income families (I believe with an annual income of less than £16000). The children are also entitled to free school meals.

I have mixed feelings about a Government policy that creates poverty amongst parents and wafer thin school budgets. None of this is necessary.

Why aren't parents paying for their kids lunches using their child benefit which is paid to them for the purpose of feeding and clothing their kids?

School meals are not cheap if you're a family on a tight budget.
Most of the DC at DC's junior school don't have them because of this. They send their children with a packed lunch instead.

It looks like the school being generous has led some parents to abuse the situation.

I suspect the net result won't be children going hungry but fewer parents "forgetting" to send in money or alternative lunch.

I found a couple of the messages on this thread frustrating. Saying that you can't afford to pay for your kids meals because your salary is low, but not low enough to qualify for benefits.... If you can't afford to FEED A CHILD, why have one? Rather selfish IMO!

DD's primary had a very similar situation and had to take similar action. I don't really see what else they can do. It then also tightened up payment and won't let people go more than 1 or 2 meals behind.

Gosh dreaming if only more people had your foresight

Obviously it is the parent's responsibility to feed their child, but I don't think the school should leave the child without a proper lunch. I think I'd rather they contacted the parent to either collect their child or bring something in for them, then social services if they refuse.

The trouble is that between those two entities is the child who definitely isn't being unreasonable and who is the one to suffer
And that is the moral issue indeed. How far should everyone feel responsible for the failing of these kids' parents to be so knowing that the more you take on the responsibility on their behalf, the least likely they will consider to take it back but instead will grow to first take it for granted, then expect it snf finally consider to be entitled to it?

I agree it is tricky and the school can't keep feeding the kids for free. Parents do have a responsibility to pay or provide a packed lunch but obviously not all can so perhaps they need some help with the process of applying for free school meals.
Where we live school meals are free all through primary so less of an issue.

One former head I worked for used to tell the parents the DC would have to go home for dinner until the debt was paid off. They magically found the money.

A pack of Ham, one loaf of bread and a bag of apples and a pack of chocolate biscuits (like a penguin) costs approx £3.00 (just checked at Tesco) - that would feed a child a ham sandwich, an apple and a chocolate biscuit every lunchtime for a week (not the best lunch but better than no lunch!). It’s not acceptable to instead just not pay for school dinners and financially indebt the school who has to provide for ALL children (teachers, equipment etc). I agree with the school whilst feeling horribly sorry for the children.

Ds has a friend in his group where his parents has school lunch debts and a years worth of football team subs she just doesnt pay or he will show up places like the cinema, swimming with no money for a ticket and the group will club together for him as they feel sorry for him. I tell ds not to sub him as his parents can afford it and are taking the piss but he feels bad for his friend if he doesn't.

They live in a deprived area, both are employed, not entitled to free school meals, the dad has a nice car (used BMW, but not that old), they both smoke like a chimneys (and their son says not just cigarettes) and they have holidays abroad at least once a year.

I agree they should be referred by the school to social services to look into the family circumstances for not providing their child with food, or money to provide it, for the school day.

a Government policy that creates poverty amongst parents

Or parents who mismanage their money in comparison with others on the same income level.

A policy like this will tend to weed out the ones who are just not bothering to pay, because their kid gets fed anyway so why bother, and the ones who can’t pay. Which should, in time, allow the school to better target help to the families that can’t pay.

A cheap packed lunch - one can be made for around 50p per day - is surely the answer?
Schools are in such tight budgets they can’t affird the shortfall.

Notso that’s much more sensible, although kids often sub each other which can also be problematic

The school is not being unreasonable

And agree with sentiment that pisstakers ruin it for those who need it.

Parents’ responsibility to feed the child, school’s job to educate them.

We need to stop expecting schools to be all things and to solve all societies I’ll. A bit of a drive on parenting wouldn’t go amiss sometimes. If you choose to have children you have a responsibility to ensure they are cared for and that means feeding them, clothing them, providing a home, ensuring they understand right from wrong and that they reveal education that enables them to function in the adult world.

The schools job is to provide the education.

If you can’t afford school dinners, send them in with a packed lunch. I have three DC and cannot justify the cost of school dinners (almost £40 a week) so they get a packed lunch which is far cheaper.

However punishing the children by effectively making them starve and also singling them out for their parents actions doesn’t seem fair. No idea what other solution there is but I feel really sorry for the kids. Some of them will only be seven.

If you are stuck in a no money situation (which lets face it uc has left people in this situation) then speak to the school.
I no someone who is waiting for uc and our school is letting them pay for lunches as and when because they keep the school informed as to what is going on.
Schools will probably allow little debts like that and imo those children should be entitled to something.

I think more than 2 days in a row of none payment should warrant a phone call home anything more should be a ss matter.

The school needs to follow safeguarding issues. Not making provisions to feed your child is neglect - if you can't afford to buy food go to a food bank and get bread, Marge and cheese to make sandwiches for school.