Monday 16 March 2009

”’Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello, what seems to be occurin’ ‘ere, then?”

If pupils are found to have sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks or full-fat crisps, teachers confiscate them and hold them in the staffroom.

The snacks are returned at the end of the day but only if parents ask.
Yes, it’s the ‘Food Gestapo’ in action yet again, rifling through primary school children’s lunchboxes and removing anything Big Brother is telling them is ‘unhealthy’ this week.

But it was the little tagged-on story at the end that really made me pause:
In 2007, Standish High School in Wigan banned pupils from leaving the school grounds at lunchtime, stopping them from going to fast food outlets.

Some children phoned a local sandwich delivery man who came to the school and passed his wares through the gates.

However, teachers complained and the sandwich seller was asked to move on by police.
Wha…?

Selling sandwiches to schoolchildren (who showed a nice line in initiative there!) is illegal now…?

12 comments:

  1. It just seems so reasonable to me. Getting my coat.

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  2. Thinking back at what I ate at school when I was as thin as a rake. The only difference was, unlike children today, I spent most of my time outside running about doing risky things with my mates.

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  3. The teaching union has agreed that their members should wear uniform after Labour has rigged the next election. In schoolteacher tradition, brown is the preferred colour.

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  4. Of course, teachers have always confiscated things from schoolchildren if they were banned or being used in lessons, but this soft totalitarianism represents on aspect of the feminization of politics.

    Everything's FOR THE CHILDREN and let's - please Goddess - ignore abstract strutting male stuff that make us feel uncomfortable such as a few random passages in the Koran, or what happened to the easter Roman Empire, or all our money in th elast few months.

    Tax chocolate and alcohol, though; that'll save us from all life's evils.

    It takes a special kind of thinking to come up with a regime like ours and it's nothing to do with Mrs. Thatcher, that's for sure.

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  5. The sandwich man is clearly a pusher.

    Clearly, another example of the Righteous thinking that they know better than the parents of the children, who gave their children the snacks. I bet any parent who asks for their property back is treated like total shit, and if they lose their temper as a result it will get logged as a Hate Crime.

    Anyway, what's the betting that some of the teachers who are confiscating this property are fat and unhealthy?

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  6. I think Rob has stumbled onto something here re the sandwich man being a "pusher". How soon will it be before crisps, fizzy drinks, Mars bars etc are classified on a similar system to that concerning Class A drugs? Possession of such foods for personal consumption might be tolerated but trafficking in "classified unhealthy" snacks will be a serious offence. I wish I were joking.

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  7. The simple solution is to define the items as part of your religious observation, and demand the dismissal of the people involved for religious discrimination. If anyone asks, your sect does not allow discussion of it's beliefs with non believers, including identifying what it is. Then watch them squirm, though avoid laughing, it might make them suspicious. Perhaps, DK as the leader, guru, annoyer in chief?

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  8. It wasn't illegal until the police decided it was, but now that they have done so, it is.

    Clear?

    That's the way the British justice system works now.

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  9. I suspect the reason the children have to be fed only according to what th school dictates (with no outside contributions) is because they're putting Krillitane Oil in the school dinners…

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  10. "The only difference was, unlike children today, I spent most of my time outside running about doing risky things with my mates."

    Well, today's youth do still do this. But it seems to be getting riskier... ;)

    "..It takes a special kind of thinking to come up with a regime like ours.."

    Indeed!

    "I wish I were joking."

    Me too! Still, Broon did conspicuously fail to support Sir Liam today. So that's one bright light on the horizon.

    "I suspect the reason the children have to be fed only according to what th school dictates (with no outside contributions) is because they're putting Krillitane Oil in the school dinners…"

    Hey, it makes as much sense. Frankly...

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  11. JuliaM: "I suspect the reason the children have to be fed only according to what th school dictates (with no outside contributions) is because they're putting Krillitane Oil in the school dinners…"

    Hey, it makes as much sense. Frankly..."

    K9: "Affirmative, Mistress!"

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  12. "The simple solution is to define the items as part of your religious observation"

    It isn't as simple as that. Your religion must also have a credible reputation as being willing to kill, murder and maim at the slightest provocation. Only then will you be listened to.

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