To refuse DD “poverty” lunch?

[questions3900]

DD is an elite athlete training many hours. We pay for hot school meals at lunch time as she does long hours straight after school. She phoned me to say that it was announced in form today is poverty lunch where they will have a cup of soup to feel the hardship some people go through and the money saved by not providing full hot food options goes straight to charity. DD called to ask if I would bring snacks for on the way to training. I called the school to complain and they have DD given a full normal lunch. DD is livid and embarrassed. AIBU to think as parents we should at least be told if this is planned? If it I had known in advanced I could have prepared food for on the way to training but I rely on the hot food I pay for her to have at school otherwise.

What would the educational board have to say about a charitable scheme that you could opt out of?
@strawberrieshortcake how can you opt out if it isn’t announced in advance? Not to mention the fact that children will be put under peer pressure to participate even if their health won’t allow it.

OP was informed before hand
No OP was not informed beforehand. She specifically said it was announced in class that morning.

You are truly ridiculous
What’s ridiculous is taking away a child’s paid-for lunch without parental consent.

Serving a "poverty meal" sounds quite insensitive and even embarrassing to the children who experience actual hunger (and would love a cup of soup for lunch). Ill-conceived on the part of the school, I think.

What a ghastly condescending wank. If DS' school tried something like that, I'd be discussing with him how shit it was, and we would both complain and refuse to participate.

Always "That" parent

And IMO if someone was happy to be ripped off and not getting what they paid for because someone decided they needed some sort of lesson about poverty they’d be either a virtue signaller or a complete mug!

Completely agree
Give me what ive paid for
If ive paid the school for DD lunch, I expect she gets it. I DO NOT expect she gets forced charity thrust upon her
I decide if and when we donate to any cause

Team this is patronising wank that teaches nothing about real poverty, and a terrible idea for the reasons pp have already discussed. Also - what about the kids with, or at risk of developing eating disorders. Hey kids, skip lunch and have some soup instead. Great idea!
Lots of sneering that soup is plenty. It won't have been a big soup with chunks of veg. Growing teens need more calories than a sedentary adult woman. We don't know that the school has a shop or vending machines, and I'm assuming the canteen wasn't offering anything else to buy at lunch. The school at be in the middle of nowhere. So it could well have literally been breakfast, morning snack and soup was it. Not enough for any teens. Yes maybe the DD should have carried extra snacks with her just in case, but they'd planned for a school lunch. There is no way she should have trained on soup for lunch - for several hours. High-level sport uses a ton of calories. Undereating is asking to collapse. It's a guaranteed not performing at your usual level, not being able to concentrate, wasting OP's DD's training session effectively (and oh OP's money, when the family will be making sacrifices to pay for gymnastics at a high level) It's not just about oops passed out, no big deal. Especially in gymnastics, if she'd felt faint or not been able to focus that increases the risk of injury. Possibly career-ending or even life-altering injury. Oh and elite gymnastics is just the term used, didn't surprise me OP isn't in the UK though. The bitter, pathetic tall poppy syndrome sneering at anyone whose child is good at something and dares to mention it grates on me.

Do you mean CAFOD? Is it a catholic school?

If so, my dd went to a catholic school and did this regularly. She also trained 6 days a week. Never a problem.

Broken11Girl, op was meeting her at the school gates with food. She was at no greater risk of career ending or life altering injury than any other day.

Don’t most high school kids visit the sweet shop / chip shop on the way home anyway, regardless of what was served for lunch?

op was meeting her at the school gates with food. She was at no greater risk of career ending or life altering injury than any other day

Tbh that's not even the point.

The school decided to screw over all the kids with medical conditions and all the kids who rely on that meal just so they can get a pat on the back and appear to be generous.

Except it wasnt even their money, it was the parents money. And it wasnt money that was extra that people had donated,.it was money obtained by not providing what parents had asked for and paid for.

The school could have out some real action into place to help those in poverty.

Sensible uniform policies

Lowering prices of food

Helping families with uniform and equipment

Making sure they have a good san pro supply

Not sending kids home when their parents cant afford to replace shoes or clothing.

Holding voluntary donation days, collecting for food banks etc.

I realise none of that would bring them.the attention they want in the form.of framed letters and re tweets but it wouod still make a difference to people.

And as I said before if it's possible to provide a half decent low cost lunch that leaves enough money to make a donation to charity then why arent they doing it more often and passing the saving onto the parents

It wont catch everyone but if those who dont get the meals free but are still in the shit may be very grateful to be able to pay 50p as opposed to 2.50 and their kids have some.soup and a.roll for lunch

And it makes no difference if kids hit the sweatshop on way home or not.

Theft and fraud is wrong whether someones living on the streets or a billionaire.

You shouldn't have called the school, that was a bad call.

Very embarrassing for your daughter.

You should have just met her after school and given her food