Universal Free School meals

downtheroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422739#Comment_120422739

Safe to assume you don't feed your child a fast food burger every single day for lunch so. And quite rightly so. Its disgraceful parenting.

Teachers have enough to be doing without micro managing the contents of every child's lunchbox on a daily basis. However if they notice that a child is routinely showing up to school with a lazy and irresponsible excuse for a lunch then I personally don't see why that can't be notified to Tusla, who could then send targeted information to those parents to try and educate them on the value of good nutrition.

Notifying Tusla doesn't mean they have to swoop in and take the child out of the control of the parents.

Or we just leave things as is, and let the parents continue to malnourish their kids.

MarkR

Lovely idea, but can't see how it could be rolled out nationally with the massive differences in facilities. Most schools don't seem to have room to swing a cat, having classes in sports halls in some cases. So now they'll need a cooking area and seating for the kids?

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422793#Comment_120422793

Why are you continuing to move the goal posts? Can you not stand by your original story?

It's not up to teachers to micro manage school lunches either, like I said the school BOM will have a policy. I also suggest they may not have the time to report a child to the welfare agency for eating a burger, nor would they like the reply I'd suggest. But again, what if the nutritional value of that burger exceeds processed cheese goop a different child eats every day?

Tusla too I guess if you are being consistent?

doc22

A teacher gossiping to friends about a childs lunch is in no way acceptabe. As long as the child is happy it's none of their business.

Reporting to Tusla over eating a burger.🤡

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422872#Comment_120422872

I think the person should report this teacher friend of theirs to the school BOM and Department of Education for gossiping about kids.

Mrs OBumble

Children also need sleep and clothing.

Are schools also going to provide dormitories and free clothing?

redlough

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120423060#Comment_120423060

Yes they can, its called a boarding school

But no idea what it has to do with the discussion and not sure why we need to reduce the thread to the ridiculous statements

freshpopcorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120423060#Comment_120423060

Well I am aware of some schools who help parents out with uniforms.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422872#Comment_120422872

If she reported the burger kid to randos and not the authorities let’s call this a nothing burger.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120423060#Comment_120423060

No tax on clothes

Child allowance

Sleep and being dressed are both things you do before school. But sure yeah schools should have a nap on the schedule.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422816#Comment_120422816

Kitchen, food prep, food storage, refrigeration, waste disposal, staff rest and changing facilities etc… canteen where food is eaten….even before the burgeoning population increases there is no way this could be done in the vast majority of schools… thinking of my primary and secondary there is nowhere to do this.

gyms won’t be appropriate as the majority of modern facilities in schools these days have modern commercial grade bespoke rubber gym flooring or smooth varnished wooden flooring that won’t stand up to the constant arrival and departure of hundreds of students every day and tables and chairs being dragged over them, food being dropped. Constantly being washed / cleaned and sanitised.. bad enough some are being used as classrooms now. Does each student need trainers ?

the vast majority of schools would need separate capital investment just to make it work. A lot even if money was available, the space wouldn’t be.

its ridiculous. Forever, parents just got on with feeding their kids, because they were responsible and having food in their kids belly was an important thing, a responsibility, their responsibility . Now it seems the taxpayers and schools should pay a part in feeding them… no.

way to go, more woke politics now where parents are all but absolved of their responsibility to feed their kids now…. What a time to be alive, not.

Schools are educational facilities, full stop, not social or general welfare and wellbeing portals. Schools are built to…. E D U C A T E

Water John

Where do children eat their lunch ATM? The same place where they'll eat the new school meal.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424390#Comment_120424390

Our young lad eats his lunch at his desk in class and then they go out to play. That'd be a non-runner with hot food. There is no designated area for them to eat their lunch and that's in a brand new school.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424374#Comment_120424374

You seem very emotional about this.

Your kids don't need to partake, it's not mandatory that they eat the provided meal. If this actually ends up happening.

When I was in school we had a milk and drinkable yoghurt programme. I suppose that was woke too was it?

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422500#Comment_120422500

The photo in the Irish Times article seemed to show plastic boxes. I really hope they are being reused, and not pushed for recycling.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422506#Comment_120422506

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422525#Comment_120422525

'Compostable' doesn't necessarily mean composted, particularly if there are large quantities of such materials. You'd need to be sure that these actually end up being composted before giving this approval.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424418#Comment_120424418

Not emotional about it at all, simply my considered opinion about it..

being handed a drink isn’t the same as being provided with catered lunches… bizarre really that you willingly equate the two. :)

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424466#Comment_120424466

Typing in caps and shouting "woke" is hyper emotional.

Milk and yogurt are also type of food, they were given for a reason.

Strange you can't equate the 2. 😕

Either way your kids don't have to partake.

Ultimate Gowlbag

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424374#Comment_120424374

so much wrong with this post,there doesnt need to be any kitchens or facilities etc built

many many schools already have hot food for years now,the child chooses from a menu and it gets delivered every day....look up freshtoday.ie as one business that provides this!

Jinglejangle69

If people watched the news yesterday they will see the meals get delivered each day fresh in containers.

The kids eat at their desk then dispose of the waste.

No need for canteens, prep areas etc etc.

If they can do it in 1600 “disadvantaged area” schools they can do it in every school.

Jinglejangle69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424416#Comment_120424416

Well many schools seem to manage fine.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424556#Comment_120424556

Some of the news coverage mentioned the requirement for ovens to heat up the meals, some of which are currently in corridors.

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120423060#Comment_120423060

Is there nothing that you cannot find fault with?

Fwiw I work in the area of family support. The number of children that go to school hungry on a daily basis is scary. Likewise the number that don't get at least one hot meal a day.

We can argue the rights and wrongs about parenting and money but the reality is why should we continue to allow children to go hungry because of circumstances they cannot control.

I am closely involved with a family resource centre, every day the children who attend it's after-school program get a fresh cooked meal, for many this is the only proper meal they get. And evidence shows that while its sad we have to have such programs, they do work.

How people can have an issue with children getting fed in school is beyond me. The schools I would work with that provide these meals, do their best to provide healthy meals within a budget that can be as little as a euro a day per child.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424492#Comment_120424492

It’s really not… that you equate the two is quite bizarre. That you think the use of capital letters indicates ’ shouting ‘… you are hyper exaggerating and being hyper disingenuous now im afraid….

as pointed out schools will need facilities and staff..

keep the taxpayers dosh for more valuable initiatives…. Parents, parent and ensure your kids have something to eat. Happened successfully for years… it’s not difficult.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425009#Comment_120425009

keep the taxpayers dosh for more valuable initiatives

Well I am a taxpayer, glad to give it to feed hungry children.

Shouting about wokism on the internet isn't going to make them any less hungry is it?

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425009#Comment_120425009

Thing is it hasn't happened successfully for years, children have gone malnourished for decades.

voldejoie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120422091#Comment_120422091

Even if the parents are mishandling their income, the child shouldn't go hungry or suffer as a result. And tbh the idea of "mishandling" would be more of an argument against something like increased child benefit, or some other way of paying more money to parents directly. This is a practical support that will guarantee a certain baseline for all children, whether their parents can't or won't put any effort into feeding them.

voldejoie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425252#Comment_120425252

No, because it will be universal. Clue is in the name.

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425270#Comment_120425270

There's an argument that giving vouchers/coupons instead of money will mean no more spending child benefit on smokes or booze.

In reality the likelihood is those vouchers will be traded for money at below face value so even less will be spent on children.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120424671#Comment_120424671

If you are providing family support, and the families still aren't managing to feed their kids, then it sounds like you are not doing your job correctly.

While it's great that you are feeding them, what you are really doing is removing the responsibility from the parents - who are still getting the child benefit which is intended to help them care for the kids. What is that money being used for? What are the kids learning about family life, and food?

Notmything

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120425607#Comment_120425607

You really have no idea about the reality for a lot of families.

If you're low paid faced with climbing rents, electricity and heating gone through the roof then you have less money for other things. Government payments have helped but its a plaster on a bigger wound.

Not everyone is on welfare you know,or getting rent support. For many families just knowing that their children are getting fed in school/after-school is a huge support and means they have that tiny bit extra to get by on.

But hey you keep going on that soap box blaming families and typecasting everyone so you can feel good about the vitriol you post here.