eating off the floor at school

[babymand]

can anyone tell me the lay out for their child's lunch time at primary school i have found out that my 4 year old has to eat her packed lunch off the floor with no chairs and no tables. I think this is unhygienic and unacceptable but is this the norm?

our dinner hall has fold up tables with little stools attached and all the children use them whether they have a school dinner or a packed lunch.

thanks Seona our dinner hall has tables for the ones having school dinners but the ones with packed lunches eat in the assembly hall

Same with seona1973... talk to the teacher tommorow or call into the school office and ask.

Seems wrong on a few levels to me...I know dining halls are cleaned after lunch...but wht about before? I think at the least the school should have some kind of plastic sheet down...takes work to clean it but tough!

I'm sure they're not actually eating of the floor. They will be sat on the floor, picnic style. Wouldn't bother me personally

off

Yes it is picnic style but in a room were everybody walk in no change of shoes, does p.e. I just think it is very unhygienic. thanks everyone for your comments

But the food isn't on the floor, is it. They are just sitting on the floor.

I can't see how it is any different from them sitting on the floor in the classroom during teaching time.

The lunchboxes are clean, their hands are clean presumably. I don't think I would have a problem with this.

They probably don't have enough lunchtime supervisers for the children to eat in the classrooms.

well everyone seems to think this situation is fine but i just can't agree with it. will have to look into it further thanks

i don't think it's fine at all

their hands are going to be touching the floor a lot during lunch, and then touching their food. no small child is going to sit down, sit still and not touch the floor are they?

and aside from that, why SHOULD they have to sit on the floor? sorry, but i would expect a school to provide tables and chairs for everyone to sit and eat at

The hygiene side of it wouldn't worry me too much, but I would question why they should have to sit on the floor everyday.
It can't be very comfortable - they'd be better eating at tables in a classroom.
(And I'm assuming the staff don't eat on the floor? )

I would not be happy at all and would definitely speak to the school.

I think children should sit at a table to eat. Surely a school should be reinforcing this? But as others have said, with young children, the hygiene issue would be my biggest concern.

I seem to remember eating my lunch in a picnic style sat on teh floor for 8 years at primary. in summer we ate outside ,in autumn- spring in the school gym.
I liked it , nice and informal and more fun than lesson time sat on a chair

The chairs and the undersides of the tables are NEVER cleaned. Children touch them all the time. Unlike the floor which will be cleaned at least once a day. I can't think of a reason why children sitting on the floor would be touching it all the time, unless they are chasing dropped Hula Hoops or something!

Ours eat at tables, however if the weather is nice they go outside to eat and have to sit on the ground or grass to do so