lunchtime

[peanutcupcake]

is it just me ? or does anyone think it unacceptable in the 21st century that childen do not have a designated room in which to eat their packed lunch. At my daughter's school they eat at their desks and have strictly 15 mins to eat then they must leave the classroom.
I know this school won't be the only one with this system and lack of money will be the excuse. Just wondered if anyone out there feels the same.

My DCs school does have a designated room to eat lunch.

Apart from DS2, who eats in the school hall.

Apart from the time limit being a bit short and non flexible I don't see what the problem is, not all school have spare rooms floating about that can seat the amount of children who would be having packed lunch. My dd goes to a small village school, the school hall is also the gym and the lunch hall, packed lunches are eaten in a class room, small school means that all reception and key stage one packed lunches eat in one class room and all KS2 in another. Schools just have to use the space they have and also the staff they have to the best of their ability, I can see nothing wrong with eating a packed lunch in the class as long as they are then able to go and play. I suspect the time limit is to do with staffing, if there is room maybe you could see if it was possible for two classes to come together for lunch so a half hour eating slot could be managed by supervisors doing 15 mins each (although that idea has it's problems with staff lunch times - who in their right mind would want to do the second slot?)

If kids are not given a time limit there are plenty who will dawdle and hang about while the lunch supervisor is trying to get the class room cleaned up and fit to teach in again....That said, 15 mins is quite short, they get 30 mins at DS's school. Takes the supervising adult another 10-15 to get the place clean again - wipe tables, move chairs, sweep or vacuum floor, replace chairs. By which time teacher is often coming back to the room to set up for afternoon session.

Surely 15 mins is way too short? I bet it puts pressure on children to wolf it down or leave food. But I guess it depends on age too - I'm thinking little ones, but children at secondary school probably eat faster. But not having a spare room is just unfortunate. Lack of money is probably the excuse, but these days, a valid one.