http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=431769&in_page_id=1770

A girl of eight who forgot her £3.50 lunch money was instead given a school dinner of bread and water. For dessert, Courtney Williams got a blackened banana. [more]Geez this is just disgusting to think about!!

Very sad.......

£3.50?? Got damn! Lunch at my school was like $3.50. What is that like half?

There might be more to this story than what's seen at first glance ...the article stated that the mother has been in arrears with the lunch money on a number of occasions--it's really not the school's responsibility to provide free lunches to the students. This isn't fair to the kids whose parents do pay.

I'm also wondering why the mother didn't just pack her kid a lunch and take the cheap route, or at least, cheaper.

A local mother in these parts owed the school several hundred dollars for school lunches. When they finally cut off her credit, the mom went to the newspapers. Her kid was still fed tho, at the school--peanut butter and such.

Better than starving.

There might be more to this story than what's seen at first glance ...the article stated that the mother has been in arrears with the lunch money on a number of occasions--it's really not the school's responsibility to provide free lunches to the students. This isn't fair to the kids whose parents do pay.

I'm also wondering why the mother didn't just pack her kid a lunch and take the cheap route, or at least, cheaper.

A local mother in these parts owed the school several hundred dollars for school lunches. When they finally cut off her credit, the mom went to the newspapers. Her kid was still fed tho, at the school--peanut butter and such.

Better than starving.

Well the article said that she'd been trying to get free lunches for her child because of her low income, and that her form was still being processed.

I got free lunch at school pretty much all my life.

From the article:

(The headmistress) added: "We have, on numerous occasions, provided meals and accommodated late payments from this parent. We would never allow a child to go hungry.

"However, the policy of our school meal provider, Sodexho, clearly states that payment for meals must be made in advance and they will be unable to provide a meal if payment is not received."

Maybe the school's just tired of being taken advantage of?
You get what you pay for, as my Dad used to say.

what's wrong with a ripe banana?:banana:

From the article:

(The headmistress) added: "We have, on numerous occasions, provided meals and accommodated late payments from this parent. We would never allow a child to go hungry.

"However, the policy of our school meal provider, Sodexho, clearly states that payment for meals must be made in advance and they will be unable to provide a meal if payment is not received."

Maybe the school's just tired of being taken advantage of?
You get what you pay for, as my Dad used to say.

I don't disagree with you, it's just that it also said this in the article:

Courtney is not eligible for free school meals because her mother's income support application is still being processed.

Her mom doesn't have job, she makes no money... Couldn't they at least put some peanut butter on her plain dry bread? That's what they used to do at my school when someone's account was empty.

If the mother doesn't even have the money to get her child school meals, how much food do you think she's getting at home? Hopefully her application gets processed soon, because I remember when the only meal I ate was free lunch at school.

Wow... must have been a really slow news day.

at least she didn't go hungry... thats what would have happened if i didnt have any money at my school.

Wow... must have been a really slow news day.
after yesterday, everyday will be a slow news day:rolleyes:
http://www.allforums.net/showthread.php?t=24314

at least she didn't go hungry... thats what would have happened if i didnt have any money at my school.
If that's the only meal she got that day... Well how nutritious do you think two pieces of bread are?

I guess I'm just glad my school at least gave pb&j (during the year or so I qualified for reduced lunch instead of free and couldn't always pay for it). At least I usually had enough money to get some milk.

"However, the policy of our school meal provider, Sodexho, clearly states that payment for meals must be made in advance and they will be unable to provide a meal if payment is not received."
Ah, now I can blame someone! Sodexho is such a shitty corporation. My university's cafeteria is run by Sodexho, and they have a severe tendency to cut every corner when it comes to the food preparation, and still charge us an arm and a leg.

at least she didn't go hungry... thats what would have happened if i didnt have any money at my school.

I agree.

BFD.

She missed ONE meal.

It isn't the end of the world. Sheesh.

It will help her to better remember the lunch money the next time.

It will help her to better remember the lunch money the next time.

My thoughts exactly. No wonder personal responsibility is a quickly disappearing trait.

I'm the only one who feels sorry for the girl, huh?

When I was in Catholic grade school lunch was $3
When I was in public high school lunch was only $1.
Gotta love public education.

I agree with Dark on this one, I feel for the mother and daughter.

Mrs Williams, a single mother, said it was difficult for her to pay for the week's meals for her daughter on Mondays.

"I used to work as a domestic assistant at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, but I gave in my notice after my mother died last October and I'm unemployed at the moment," she said.

"I am expected to pay on Mondays, but I don't get my tax credit and benefit till Wednesdays. I would have thought the school could understand that and make allowances." Courtney is not eligible for free school meals because her mother's income support application is still being processed.

I'm the only one who feels sorry for the girl, huh?
no, but i'm more worried about the abuse she's going to get from her classmates for this than "missing" one meal. children are cruel.

She should have just given one of her male classmates a blowjob in the bathroom for some lunch money ;)

I feel for the mother and daughter.

I feel sorry for the girl too.

Sorry that she has a mom who quit her job 4 months ago, knowing full well she had a daughter to take care of.

The daughter shouldn't have to miss any meals because of the mother's stupidity! If Mom quit her job 4 months ago, she should have filled out an application within a week. Not 4 months later (if that's the case, that is)

I'm the only one who feels sorry for the girl, huh?

There used to be a time when people were thankful when strangers gave you bread and water to stave off hunger. Now, they complain that it's not pb&j and milk.

I have to say, the latter sentiment makes me wish I lived in the former time. Personal responsibility is the foundation of a healthy capitalistic society.

Sorry that she has a mom who quit her job 4 months ago, knowing full well she had a daughter to take care of.

Right - and who couldn't manage to get to school with the money in time for lunch. Of course the unknown factor here is how long that application for assistance with the cost of lunch has been floating around. I certainly wouldn't put it past some bureaucracy to sit on something like that until the applicant starves. But everything we do know points towards a whiney mother with screwed up priorities.

If that's the only meal she got that day... Well how nutritious do you think two pieces of bread are?.

She had bread and water and a banana. I would not want to see her forced to live on that every day, but we're talking about one meal.

I feel quite confident she did not pass out during the afternoon for lack of nourishment.

When you get sufficiently hungry, anything you get tends to start tasting MUCH better all of a sudden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

side note; -- as to the days she DOES have her lunch money, doesn't it seem to everyone here that for £3.50 (!!) they ought to be able to provide her a quite sizeable, tasty and nourishing meal...?!?!?

no, but i'm more worried about the abuse she's going to get from her classmates for this than "missing" one meal. children are cruel.
That's a good point. I have experienced the cruelty of children. "You get free lunch, haha you're poor! You can't even afford anything! Na na na na na!"

after yesterday, everyday will be a slow news day:rolleyes:
http://www.allforums.net/showthread.php?t=24314

haha, yea people are retards

If that's the only meal she got that day... Well how nutritious do you think two pieces of bread are?
The job of the school is to teach the kids. Her parents should be making sure that she is well fed. In anycase she's still getting a breakfast and a dinner. Missing one meal isn't going to kill a kid.

The job of the school is to teach the kids. Her parents should be making sure that she is well fed. In anycase she's still getting a breakfast and a dinner. Missing one meal isn't going to kill a kid.
If her mom hasn't had a job in four months, who says she's getting a breakfast and a dinner?

I wonder - would the same attitude prevail in a U.S. school?

"Prisoners get better food," her mother Michelle said. "I was fuming."

Her mother was fuming. That part irritates the snot out of me. Where the HELL is her sense of responsibility? Where is her feeling of "oh my gawd, what have I wrought upon my daughter?". It's always someone else's responsibility and the victim mentality.

She was late with the money but hey, it wasn't her fault. It never is of course.

If her mom hasn't had a job in four months, who says she's getting a breakfast and a dinner?

If she isn't feeding her daughter then that is a very bad situation, and she should probably go look at some charities to get some food. However, it is not the responsibility of the school to feed the students, it is the responsibility of the parent. It looks to me that if the mom is as irresponsible as she sounds from the article, she shouldn't be a parent right now. It is NOT that difficult to get a job, especially when she's had 4 months to find one. She could work at McDonalds if she can't find a job elsewhere.

I feel sorry for the girl. I suppose I feel sorry for the mother. I also feel sorry for the school who has to pay for people who won't take personal responsibility.


I'm the only one who feels sorry for the girl, huh?

If she isn't feeding her daughter then that is a very bad situation, and she should probably go look at some charities to get some food. However, it is not the responsibility of the school to feed the students, it is the responsibility of the parent. It looks to me that if the mom is as irresponsible as she sounds from the article, she shouldn't be a parent right now. It is NOT that difficult to get a job, especially when she's had 4 months to find one. She could work at McDonalds if she can't find a job elsewhere.
Sometimes there just aren't any jobs around, even at McDonald's.

I feel sorry for the girl. I suppose I feel sorry for the mother. I also feel sorry for the school who has to pay for people who won't take personal responsibility.
The mother is the only one for whom I DON'T feel sorry.

Sometimes there just aren't any jobs around, even at McDonald's.

Then it's an opportune moment to start a labor intensive business.

She should have just given one of her male classmates a blowjob in the bathroom for some lunch money ;)

It worked for you, didn't it? :banana:

It worked for you, didn't it? :banana:
:lolhit: