Vegetarian labelling at school

[Domino1]

My DD is 6 & like me is vegetarian. They have recently introduced a 'family service' at the school with set tables & have created a permanent table for the vegetarians (about 5 of them). I understand this is for convenience etc but feel uncomfortable about the separating of this group generally & in particular if some if the group are off school or on packed lunch & it leaves 1or2 on the table. Would appreciate thoughts from anyone who has come across anything similar before I decide about approaching the school.

Is your DD's lunch served at the table? If so then i can understand the kitchen staff wanting to seat all the vegetarians together and not wanting to be wandering through the room to serve them at their tables.

If they're queuing up for their lunch then it sounds mad to seperate the vegetarians. My DD is veggie and she queues for her lunch and then sits at the table with her friends (no packed lunches at her school).

I don't think I like the idea of this but understand the reasoning behind it for the school. My children would have hated to be seperated from their friends like this and it only demonstrates to other kids they are 'different'. I imagine they'd never seperate different skin colours or special needs and to do it with diet is a little extreme. Maybe once they know their faces they'll be happy to accomodate them at normal tables. Have you spoken to the other vegetarian Mums? It's a case of picking your battles with school and you'll need to decide if this is big enough to be one of them. How does you DD feel about it?

Thanks for your posts. I think my DD is currently happy & I'm loath to mention it in case it highlights her 'difference'. I have spoken with one Vege mum who wasn't concerned & because her DS had been served meat before Xmas (!) was not inclined to change it. I have found out since that the headmaster is Vege too. Still undecided.

How many are on the other tables?
Are the other groups permanent?

Couldn't they use different coloured plates?

Thanks for your comments. I am going to try to speak with some of the other mums but like the coloured plate idea. I might try to pop in & see how it all works in theory.

Do they queue for food? If not this may just be a matter of convenience. If not then I would say something as it leaves dd with no option to sit with friends.

I totally disagree with the poster above who likens this to segregating children due to race or special needs. Vegetarianism is a choice

If they are served food at the tables different coloured plates wouldn't work because the issue is making sure those plates go to the right children. If the children are to young to exPlain they are vegetarian and make sure they get the right food then this is the simplest way to ensure they get the right food. It may not be ideal but it reduces the chance of them being served the wrong food.

If its a big problem then send her with packed lunches

Some vegetarian children may prefer not to sit with children eating meat and lunchtime - my DS for example has never eaten meat, seems to find the smell particularly unpleasant and finds it hard at times when he is required to sit at a table of meat eaters. The school may think they are doing the vegetarian children a favour (as well as it being more convenient for them of course.)

I would be uncomfortable for my veggie DD to be segregated for the convenience of the staff. Would they sit the Muslim or Jewish children on their own? After all that's their parents' choice too.

Having said that, my veggie 4 year old was served meat several times, which is why she's now on packed lunches.

Children sometimes swap and share what they are eating. If you keep all the veggies together it means they can't pass e.g. a beef burger.