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Original poster

Free school fruit should go

88 replies

benandoli · 05/10/2010 00:55

In these times of cuts the free school fruit should go. Half the time schools dont give the fruit out as intended as they need to spend their time, god forbid, teaching. Fruit often ends up being taken home by teachers before it goes off. It must cost a fortune and I would suggest has little impact on children's long term eating habits. So is this a luxury we cant afford and should therefore be cut?

OP posts:
MaMoTTaT · 05/10/2010 09:06

oh!!!! >>
so the fruit that wasn't eaten because of absent children - that's why DS2 often comes home with random oranges and such like.

The healthy start vouchers are £4 a week for a child under 4. £4 of fruit in my house lasts approx 2 days (if i'm lucky). Once they reach school age the vouchers have stopped.

2shoes · 05/10/2010 09:12

your right op , it shouldn't be free

Ladder · 05/10/2010 09:14

Lidl, or your local market could be a good bet to get loads of fresh fruit and veg mamottat.

nickschick · 05/10/2010 09:40

I dont think MaMoTTaTs problem is knowing where to buy fruit Ladder,its actually paying for it.

MissM · 05/10/2010 09:44

Absolutely shouldn't be scrapped, for all the valid reasons given above. Also, I know my DD (just started reception) gets starving in the afternoons. I'm much happier knowing she'll be given a piece of fruit to keep her going than either being hungry or having a packet of crisps or a biscuit. Plenty of time for eating crap when they're in secondary school and you can't have the same control.

If it really is that expensive (and I don't think for a minute that it is), schools could ask parents to voluntarily contribute towards it. Of course in lots of schools no parents would do that as they literally don't have the money, hence the need for the fruit.

(Would say surely George Osborne isn't that hard-nosed, but actually he probably is. In fact, maybe the OP is him in disguise trying to guage how it might go down?)

Original poster
benandoli · 05/10/2010 09:53

Ok I can see the point but lots of the parents who can't afford fruit are quite happy to pay for cigarettes!

OP posts:
loopyloops · 05/10/2010 09:54

Anyone remember Maggie Thatcher taking away our milk and biscuits?

I thought she actually did, cat burglar style.

This would be just as popular. Lead balloon.

Free fruit has been one of the best initiatives to target the healthy eating issue, IMO it was a genius idea and to take it away would be bonkers.

loopyloops · 05/10/2010 09:55

Oh, you've done a survey have you OP? You can back up your claims?
Sound just like a bit of Daily Mail style nonsense to me.

DuelingFanjo · 05/10/2010 09:59

Yes, on the basis that Children and women seem to be at the bottom of the ppile RE the Tory policies of course it should go.

sethstarkaddersmum · 05/10/2010 10:01

free school fruit is a no-brainer.
if it went I would ring up the government and retract my vote for them immediately.
(what, you mean I can't do that? Blush)

manicmonday22 · 05/10/2010 10:01

My dc have only just recently joined scheme. So I hope it doesn't go. We used to pay a nominal amout each week and the dc were provided with a snack and milk. That stopped this year and for a couple of weeks I had to provide a snack for my dc. I spent a fortune on fruit as I also had to put some in their lunch boxes.

amidaiwish · 05/10/2010 10:02

I think it's good
the kids need a snack at morning break, it is 2 or 3 hours since they have had breakfast.
if they didn't have the fruit they would all bring in a snack. this would invariably be a (high sugar) cereal bar, or a biscuit, or even crisps.
i love that there is fruit and nothing else. the dds generally eat it.

Igglybuff · 05/10/2010 10:03

Lets stop free fruit. And free lunches for The Poor. And lunch breaks as surely it's better to teach all day as can cram more in. Actually lets not pay the teachers - let the parents teach the kids. Sell off the playgrounds and build houses to make a Profit.

Screw the kids.

Ladder · 05/10/2010 10:03

nickschick - Mamo said that £4 of fruit lasts 2 days, I was making a suggestion on where she would possibly buy it cheaper ie lidl type shops or in the local market.

Or how about a large bag of sultanas or raisins? They could last ages.

QuickLookBusy · 05/10/2010 10:04

Oh no it shouldnt be taken away.

I'd second what others have said about some children not having any breakfast or bringing in a snack. Should these children have nothing until lunch? Sad

Also its a lovely part of the day, sitting and eating together and having a little chat.

Fruit pinchers go away!!Grin

Stretch · 05/10/2010 10:06

My kids love the fruit. DD1 is now year 4 and doesn't get it, but takes her own in.

TotorosOcarina · 05/10/2010 10:06

My kids love fruit and enjoy their fruit snack at school, I would be very sad to see it go.

I know for a fact many kids in DSs class eat and enjoy their fruit and I don't think they get much of it at home so i think it would be a shame to get rid of it.

MaMoTTaT · 05/10/2010 10:20

Nicks is right - I do know where to get fruit (I LOVE seledcted seconds and reduced to clear at Morrisons - get huge bags of stuff there for cheap -and it doesn't matter that it's going to go off soon as it's eaten before it goes off Grin).

"large" fruit are a better option in my house than "bite size" stuff -anything that can be eaten whole/only 2 or 3 bites disappears in seconds (well big bag of grapes that other week was all gone by the time I went to have some after putting them to bed in the evening Shock.

Raisins - DS3 would probably eat an entire large pack in one go (well actually he had a good go when much younger and the resulting nappies - EEEEK Grin)

They do have fruit available, usually apples and bananas, but the amount they go through I just can't afford to give them a variety of fruit like they get at school. It's ok when Morrisons (our one stall at the local market has gone a bit rubbish - they used to be very good) have punnets of soft fruit for £1 - but even they're gone before I can blink.

I remember growing up having apples. bananas, and satsumas - that's all we ever had in. Once in a blue moon (on in strawberry season) we'd have something else in and I loved it. (and grew very bored of apples, bananas and satsumas LOL)

TheCrackFox · 05/10/2010 10:22

We live in Edinburgh and only P1 and P2 are entitled to free fruit. TBH, I am in two minds about it - it is great for children where there isn't any fruit at home but from a personal view point it put DS1 really off all fruit as the school fruit tended to be bruised. It led to major battles about his eating at home.

mummyofexitedprincesses · 05/10/2010 10:24

We always give the fruit out and if there is any left over I tend to give it to the children I know don't get much at home (with discretion). If that was cancelled some children would be going from tea time (if they were lucky) to lunchtime with no food.

Gretl · 05/10/2010 10:28

Some kids don't get fruit (I know a family where the parents don't like it Hmm so never buy it) and it is pretty much vital to health to eat fruit and veg so from that angle it should be provided, I think.

However, at our school, children are given fruit and no other snack is allowed at breaktime. Actually, a handful of grapes is nowhere near enough calories, nor the right kind of calories, for a growing, active child, to see them through until lunchtime. I think it's cack-handed to encourage it at breaktime as the only option.

Ladder · 05/10/2010 10:31

mummyof - the children who are going from teatime (if they were lucky) to lunchtime at school is a whole other issue.

A piece of fruit is obviously great in those circs, but clearly if this is happening, then it is a form of child abuse. And should be looked into.

Ladder · 05/10/2010 10:35

And we are talking about very young children. I have a teenage DD who chooses not to have breakfast and on occasion the lunch comes back home, just as it went off. But the food is always provided.

These little ones you speak of, are surely suffering from neglect and if you have picked it up at the school then what has been done about it?

Not getting at you personally but someone should be doing something.

MaMoTTaT · 05/10/2010 10:39

Ladder - my oldest child (now 10) and my youngest (3) frequently refuse to eat breakfast.

DS3 went off to nursery this morning having one one small spoonful of cereal. (he would eat more if I made him a cooked breakfast - but that's beside the point - I don't have the time nor the money to make bacon and eggs just so that my 3yr old eats breakfast).

When he's not at nursery he generally only wants to eat something around 10/10.30am - but nothing before.

They've all beeen known to leave the house before now having had 3 bites of a slice of toast - because they were messing around/we were running late

Not all children who leave home not having had breakfast are neglected. I think it would be more abusive for me to force my 3yr old to eat food before he leaves the house in the morning/before 8.30am than to risk him being hungry later .

He LOVES nursery - as he gets a full on proper snack available at just the time he's usually hungry when he gets home - and grapes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber etc are much more exciting than a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast.

ShadeofViolet · 05/10/2010 10:40

We pay £12 a term for DS's school fruit - if this is the true cost then surely its worth it in the grand scheme of things to make sure young children have fruit.