General Chat

Reading between the lines of this piece about the mother and her dispute with the school, I get the distinct impression that this not sending in lunch money is certainly not a 'one-off'. I know this happens because I worked in schools for 38 years and you did get parents who would 'chance their arm' and not send in their money knowinb that the school would take pity, feed the child or a teacher or member of non-teaching would pay. They were always reluctant to then re-coup the school. Having got away with it once, they have no conscience when it comes to doing it again whenever they are short of cash. I don't want to sound unsympathetic but the more some of the parents got away with, the more they took advantage. As for being short of money. I was a single parents, being a divorcee, and I was even too proud to apply for free meals and paid for my child. Sometimes I agree, it was hard to rake the money together, but I was prepared to skimp on my own food rather than let him go without. A typical ploy would be to call him in from play, present him with a good cooked meal and when asked where was mine, would reply Oh I've had mine while you were out playing - a great big fib of course -- I had beans on toast later. Surely this Mum could make an effort to ensure she pays for her kiddies meal or as many have suggested send in a packed lunch. You cannot as a parent put the onus on the education system to feed your child and take the responsibilities off your shoulders.

Me too Muffy. My son has left his card home a few times and I have had to walk to his school to get it to him in time for lunch, but I would rather do that than make him do without. Jackiexx

I feel desperately sorry for this little girl - she must have been so humiliated and it just isn't her fault at all and I have to say had I been there I would have personally paid for her to have her meal. However, ultimately the responsiblity for paying for meals is the mothers and she has let her daughter down badly in my opinion by firstly, not budgetting for and paying for the meals in advance and secondly by failing to turn up between 11am-12pm to pay. I would have walked in bare feet the four miles to my daughters school to get there on time rather than show such scant regard for her welfare.xx

I think a lot of schools have breakfast clubs these days. On the issue of this woman going to the press, like I said I wondered if it was a 'sympathy bid'. Quite a lot of times you see similar stories and before you know it somebody has felt sorry for them and sent money. i hope if anyone sends money in this case they send it to the school to make sure the child gets fed. I know it puts the school in a bad light, but we have to remember it was the catering firm who refused a dinner and gave the bread, not the school. And.ás someone else has said, the initial fault lies with the mother. There is a photo of her in the paper, she certainly doesn't look undernourished or badly dressed. does that sound uncharitable? i don't mean it to but I do wonder where her priorities lie. Ann Glos

I think they know they need feeding but it's too much effort for them. Some people are too selfish to have children, they think more of what they need than what the children need. There are also some parents that think as long as their kids have all the latest fashions and toys they will be fine, but are never there for the children. Thats why I think they need parenting classes. Parenting doesn't come easy to most of us but there are some parents that just don't cope very well and not all of them are poor and on benefits. If me paying my donation every week to the school helps some children have breakfast, milk and fruit that they don't have at home I will not stop giving it. But I do think the school should be informing the proper authorities so they can help the children and these people become better parents. Jackie:o)

I agree with you Jackie, but some social services are less than helpful in matters like this. It IS neglect and abuse, just the same as physical cruelty. Jay

I'm afraid there are some young children who have to get themselves up and off to school (I'm talking infants.) I have known them to regularly come to school hungry, because there is no food in the house. One spin-off was because our school rallied round and found them food, the Mums were all too happy to let this happen. Jay

I agree with OC's first post. What is this woman doing running to the press? If she can't manage her money better or get to the school at the time she says she will it isn't anyone's fault but hers. Yes, when I was teaching the child would have been given a meal but let's not forget who is at fault here. If the mother had paid the child would have been fed. Gwynne

Maybe parents who cannot feed their children should have part of their benefit diverted to the school, so that the school can feed them. Surely the dullest of the dull realise children need feeding? OC

OC Don't know sorry, I don't know who the children are, but I do think that the parents should be making sure the children are fed before they go to school. It doesn't take much effort to make a couple of slices of toast and/or some cereal after all. I think some people are not coping looking after they're children as well as they should and the school is picking up the slack. What they should be doing is getting parenting help for these families. Jackie

Jackie Why are these children not having breakfast at home???? OC

Just read the report if the lady is unemployed she should be entitled to free school meals for her child. But either way no child should be given stale bread and a banana for lunch, how would the staff like it if it happened to their child. The only loser in this is the little girl. I know in my daughters school there are some parents that either forget or don't pay for their childs school meals but they never stop giving the children a meal they just keep sending letters home. They have recently started giving all children toast straight after morning registration as they found some children that do not have breakfast at home, all children also have free milk and a piece of fruit at break. Parents can make donations to this scheme if they are able to afford it. Jackie

Oh, that poor child. I don't know how any adult in that school could sit by and let her eat that for her lunch - disgusting!!!! My daughters school meals are £7.75 for the week, sometimes i forget to take it in on the monday, but she still gets her meal!!!! Surely this woman would be on free school meals would she not???? I am really upset for this little girl, why didn't one of the teachers put the money in for her? It's not the kids fault is it??? Poor, poor little girl...... :-( LOU XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

OC am with you there....... before all else, ,my kids food & clothes come first.... then bills etc then kids bits and pieces ( not essentials but activities cubs/scouts etc) and IF there is anything left over I might get something for myself, but not usually anything left over!!!!

Am I the only person reading this who would have died of shame, rather than go to the newspapers? I have been a single mum twice (two marriages) and my children got fed before anything else happened. They had packed lunches and I budgeted for those. I feel very sorry for this little girl, whose mother is shifting the responsibility of feeding her own child onto the school. We don't know what has happened in the past here. OC

The school dinners here are £1.65. I think it's disgusting what the child was given, don't know the full circumstances of the womens situation, but the child shouldn't have to go without. Heather x

OK here is the whole report from the Citizen A Mum from Brockworth has hit out after she said her daughter was only fed bread and water for lunch because she forgot her dinner money.Michelle Williams, of Moorfield Road, Brockworth, claims her eight-year-old daughter, Courtney, was only given the meagre portions at Castle Hill Primary because she'd forgotten to send in the cash. But the school, which has healthy school status, claims the situation was out of its hands with the lunches being co-ordinated by an external company and a series of late payments making the situation more difficult. Michelle, 31, said: 'After Courtney had gone to school I had a call from the headteacher asking me for £3.50 for her dinner money. 'I told her I would take the money in between 11am and 12pm but could they make sure Courtney gets her dinner and they assured me that was fine. 'I went down to the school, but I didn't get there until after 1pm and when I gave the money to the cook she told me my daughter had only been given bread, water and a banana.' Michelle was furious and asked to speak to the head to say she was taking Courtney home to feed her. 'Courtney was also really upset that she had to sit with her friends while they all ate a hot meal of fish and rice and a dessert. Eating dry bread is just not on.' Michelle, who is currently unemployed, said she had explained to the school before that she does not receive her family tax credit until a Wednesday - often making it difficult for her to pay until later in the week. Castle Hill Primary headteacher Sue Rowlinson said the school had tried their best to help Michelle and find a solution to the payment problems and would continue to do so. She said: 'We have, on numerous occasions, provided meals and accommodated late payment from this parent; we would never allow a child to go hungry in school. 'However Sodexho, our school meal providers policy clearly states that payment for meals must be paid in advance and they will be unable to provide a meal if payment is not received. 'Our main concern is always the health and wellbeing of our pupils. We have tried to come to an arrangement with this parent to accommodate any difficulties she may have in paying for the meals at the start of the week. We will continue to try to find a way forward to everyone's satisfaction.'

The dinners in my local primary school is £1.50, you are meant to pay for them on a Monday for the whole week. If however you do not have the money on the day, you can pay later. In my sons comprehensive the children have cash cards which the parents have to put money on in the local council offices, or by sending a cheque into school , there is a £4 a day spending limit on them. No money no lunch. As a one time single mum I can understand that sometimes the money just don't always stretch till the end of the week. But I always made sure the money for bills, school and home meals were put aside before anything else was bought. This can be hard when there are unexpected bills, school trips and clothes and shoes to provide for but when I ever came up with a problem like this I just shopped wisely i.e. going round the shops for the special offers and making cheap homemade meals and treats. If I didn't have enough money for school meals I would make them a packed lunch instead. It takes a bit more time and energy but at least everyone has the things they need. Jackiexx

when my lot had scool dinners if they was absent for an appointment in the morning, when i let the office know they would be in later, they always asked if they'd be there for lunch. As teh food came from outside caterers, and if they was marked as absent, then no meal was ordered. No idea of the price these days as mine all have packed lunches, i simply can't afford dinners for them all. Dawn do you know what/when is being sorted by the welfare people you mentioned, as we're one of a number of familys who are on Family tax credit, but get a tiny amount of working tax credit, so do not qualify for free meals

whether her mother had paid for her lunch or not what sort of society do we live in where an adult would watch a child have a piece of bread and a banana for their lunch! - something wrong there i think!!