Do your DCs ever get encouraged with table manners at school?

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My 8yo DS's table manners are in need of some encouragement - I'm lucky if I can get him to use a knife and fork, never mind hold them properly. He has hot dinners at school most days, and I do wonder if anyone ever picks him up on it there. Is that too much to hope for do you think?

Too much to hope for. DLs don't really have time to hover, they aren't there to judge and some parents would screech if they even passed a comment. Will encourage if they get a chance.

Way too much to hope for. Apart from anything else I imagine plenty of parents would be up in arms and complaining wildly if their children came home saying they'd been told they held their cutlery wrongly or didn't chew with their mouth closed or whatever.

There's been a massive clampdown on it in my DCs state primary. Use of knife and fork, sit nicely etc. Firmly in favour of it.

I do, but I'm a bitch strict and at our school we eat with the kids.

We (teachers) eat with the children and constantly remind them about table manners. So some schools will be doing it as a matter of course. Our lunch break doesn't start until after the children have eaten and they are out to play.

'use a knife and fork'

Well straight away that would bring in complaints if there were lots of children from cultures where they don't, as a rule.

Our school does try. But was unable to help DS for the same reason I couldn't at home.

But if it's important to you I think you're going to have to do it at home.

I guess you need to make a game if holding knife and fork properly.

When I was a child we used to have a party game if eating a bar of chocolate with a kindle and fork. I could see you using something like that to work on holding cutlery properly.

a kindle and a fork? Now that I would like to have seen!

Some children need extra help with a knife and fork if they are from cultures who don't usually use them. It doesn't mean they get a free pass not to use cutlery.

Yes. Normal (small) state school. My DCs moved there last year from another school and my 5 year old suddenly started saying 'boys table manners!!!' randomly at the dinner table. It turned out to be elbows on table that was the crime. After a quick discussion that it isn't only boys who do it (it seems that the girls have managed to change faster than the boys in her group) she now says 'table manners'. It's quite cute.

They have a competition at my son's school each week as to which table has the best table manners

No idea but DD's table manners deteriorated when she started school and got hot school lunch.

We had to remind her each time at home how to do it properly.

I have worked supply at schools where lunchtime is like feeding time at the zoo.

They are not places I would want a full time position.

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hmm, wait till Secondary !