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Bag Lunches...Banned!?

As I was catching up with the goings on in the “Fight Against Obesity” I was horrified to read an article about bagged lunches:

School to ban packed lunches

Jul 15 2008 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Echo

Education reporter Ben Turner says…

A SCHOOL hopes to be the first in Liverpool to ban packed lunches to ensure pupils eat better food. King David primary in Childwall wants to take the step because some children’s lunch boxes arrive packed with unhealthy snacks, including doughnuts. Staff admits the move is “controversial” but says it is part of a drive to make sure youngsters at the Jewish school eat a balanced diet. The rule is likely to come into force in 2010, when the primary school and kindergarten move into a £24m super school on a neighboring site with King David high.

The new premises would include one of the country’s largest kosher kitchens, capable of preparing more than 1,200 nutritious meals, ranging from sushi to sandwiches, every day. The kitchens would follow strict kosher guidelines, so meat and dairy products would be prepared and served in different areas. Lauren Lesin-Davis, chairwoman of governors, said: “It is controversial, but as a school, we want to get our meals right. We are amazed at what we find in children’s lunch boxes. Some even come in with doughnuts.”

She said she was “confident” parents would support the move, which is designed to tackle obesity and improve pupils’ performance in class. The school charges about £1.85 per meal and does not envisage any significant rise in the future. Pupils will not be forced to eat school meals, and parents will be allowed to take their children home to eat at lunchtimes if they choose. Recent figures showed 20.7% of boys and 14.8% of girls in Liverpool are obese by the time they are 11. The Child Growth Foundation, an obesity prevention charity, today backed King David primary’s plans. Chairman Tam Fry said: “If parents send in rubbish in lunch boxes, then the school has got to ban them.” King David primary’s plans were unveiled ahead of a visit from School Food Trust chairwoman Prue Leith tomorrow.

I was angry and disappointed when I read this, its ludicrous! They are telling these parents AND their children that only the Government know what’s best for them. Is it a crime for a parent to give their child a doughnut as a treat in their lunch? No; did the school official that noticed the doughnut stop to consider why the child had a doughnut? Was that all he/she had? Was that in his/her lunch every single day? My guess is no one bothered to ask these questions but I have one for them…Why? Why didn’t anyone bother to ask these questions? Why didn’t anyone bother to discuss these concerns with the parents? Why didn’t anyone bother to consider that some of these kids might have a good reason for bringing their lunch from home?

They state in the article that the school doesn’t “envisage” a rise in school lunch costs but I find that hard to believe. After all school lunches here in Minnesota have risen in cost since they’ve adopted this “healthy school lunch” thing and it’s expected to raise again this coming school year. They also state in the article that parents will be allowed to take their children home for lunch but most of the parents I know work all day so who would have time to bring their child home for lunch? When I was growing up the parents who couldn’t afford to buy their children $4 lunches every day sent them to school with a lunch consisting of a sandwich, some grapes or an apple or a banana, maybe some chips and then a cookie or fruit snacks, and a milk or water or juice box. I personally feel that this is a perfectly acceptable lunch for a growing child; I don’t know much about what parents are sending with their kids now but I’m sure it hasn’t changed much.

I just think that things are getting out of hand with the government getting involved in what parents feed their children. If you agree with me please don’t let this continue.