France Bans Ketchup in School Cafeterias

[c.d.]

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/france-bans-ketchup-in-school-cafeterias/

c.d.

[Magpie]

On the one hand, it's stupid--on the other, it's no secret that the "institution/industrial" ketchup used by cafeterias, fast food restaurants etc. have a lot more sugar than the bottle of Heinzy you pick up at the supermarket for home use.

[Fleetwood Mac]

On the one hand, it's stupid--on the other, it's no secret that the "institution/industrial" ketchup used by cafeterias, fast food restaurants etc. have a lot more sugar than the bottle of Heinzy you pick up at the supermarket for home use.

Problem is Magpie: at what point do the government stop interering in people's lives and the job of parents?

What next? A compulsory taken tablet that coerces people into eating 5 portions a day?

[Magpie]

Problem is Magpie: at what point do the government stop interering in people's lives and the job of parents?

Operating a cafeteria is alreay "interfering" in the job of parents--if the government is running the cafeteria, they should be allowed to run it the way that best serves the kids as they see it. If the parents object, they have every right to pack their kids a lunch instead.

[Adam Went]

Not so surprised by this. Our soft drink vending machine was banned from our school and replaced by a "healthy options" vending machine with water and juice....that was about a decade ago. At the end of the day if kids want to eat and drink unhealthy things then they are going to do it, whether it's at school or not. The parents are the ones who need to have the influence.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Limehouse]

Schools have a 'duty of care' toward their students/children and therefore have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment and promote healthy lifestyles.

However, every working day I see the results of young people not having a proper breakfast and filling up on high sugar, high salt and high fat foods on the way to college. The rubbish they eat makes them hyperactive and prevents them from applying proper focus to their studies. The college knows many young people do not have a proper breakfast and will eat rubbish instead and in response it provides a free healthy breakfast (cereal, toast, fruit juice) to anyone who can arrive at the youth centre by 8.30am. There is a low take-up. So, I would say that you have to offer healthy options and encourage healthy options and then it's up to the individual (once they are 16 and over).

[Robert]

Hi Magpie

The trouble is, according to the article the parents do NOT have the right to pack the kids a lunch - not in France anyway.

Maybe the French government should try to rectify it's disastrous currency experiments instead of poking their noses into what children eat - sheer culinary bullying.

[Adam Went]

Limehouse:

Precisely, which is why parents need to be responsible and feed their children healthy food as much as possible when they are younger, and then the education system needs to promote and educate healthy eating in schools as well, perhaps without going to the extreme of banning certain food items that kids can buy from the shop just up the street anyway.

Besides, all of this will help them much later in life, otherwise they can end up with all sorts of health issues from not eating enough healthy foods beyond their school years.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Robert]

Adam, I'd be happier if teachers could bring themselves to teach their pupils to add up, subtract and spell correctly.

[Adam Went]

Sadly, Robert, as i've come to find out a few times first hand, the teachers themselves struggle to do basic mathematics - indeed, sometimes, students have been known to correct them, which is indeed a very sorry state of affairs. Of course everybody has their knowledgeable points and their weak points, but if you're being paid to teach a certain subject, then you should know enough to be able to impart something worthwhile on that subject.

I once had a teacher argue the point with me that Athens was the capital of Italy and Rome was the capital of Greece.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Robert]

Hi Adam

LOL. Maybe we should find out what the teachers are eating. Perhaps too much junk food is making the teachers hyperactive and hence they find it difficult to learn...

[Limehouse]

Hi Adam

LOL. Maybe we should find out what the teachers are eating. Perhaps too much junk food is making the teachers hyperactive and hence they find it difficult to learn...

Maybe teachers are just sick of being held responsible for everything that's wrong with society these days. Perhaps some of you should try the job instead of taking every opportunity to have a sly dig. I bet you would not last for more than an hour.

[Heinrich]

French food is so tasty and nutritious there should never be any call for such junk as ketchup.

[Errata]

I once had a teacher argue the point with me that Athens was the capital of Italy and Rome was the capital of Greece.

Cheers,
Adam.

I had a teacher tell us that we (the US) won the Bay of Pigs Invasion. And I told her that was wrong about five different ways, and she said "well thats how it is on the test. I get paid whether you learn or not."

But she wasn't a real teacher. Here at least we have the "bored housewife teacher", which is a woman who get her teaching creds after her kids start school so she isn't in the house watching soaps all day. They don't want to teach. They want something to do until their kids get home, and they don't particularly care about the money. And they are universally terrible teachers.

[Adam Went]

Limehouse:

I get the sense that either you are are teacher or have some connection with a teacher, yes?

Down here at this very moment there is a case unfolding at an inquest where a local 15 year old schoolboy drowned on a school excursion to the river in 2009 because they went swimming and the teachers - five of them - failed to make sure every student was accounted for.

I can live with teachers making some mistakes, everybody makes mistakes, but that is a teacher mistake which cost a life.

My example to Robert was just one of many I could give you, I once had a teacher who taught us that the plural of "fish" is "fishes", and plural of "mice" is "mouses". You wouldn't read about it.

Those sorts of things are not difficult to get right, you'd expect a 5 year old child to know that, never mind a University graduated and accredited teacher - which only re-affirms my belief that university is often a waste of time.

You plead for us to have some sympathy and respect for teachers - respect has to be earnt, mate.

Oh, and by the way, i've not been a teacher, but i've been a Teachers Aide - and I lasted more than an hour.

Errata:

Wow. One hopes that they teach their own children better than that! They sound similar to relief teachers, who just fill in for sick or holidaying regular teachers....

For the record, the majority of teachers are pretty good, but the bad ones tend to be REALLY bad.

Cheers,
Adam.