Monday 23 September 2013

Well, Don’t We Expect Schools To Teach ‘A Consumer Mindset’?

It’s almost as if it’s a dirty word or something…
Pupils in a London borough blighted by child obesity are clubbing together to take advantage of discounted deals on junk food, experts warned today.
Teenagers were seen showing a “consumer mindset” to cash in on “bogof” [buy one, get one free] deals for less than the cost of a school dinner.
Hurrah! At last, the maths lessons are getting through!
The findings emerged in an academic study into the eating habits of pupils at three secondary schools in Haringey, where the council wants to limit fast-food takeaways within 400 metres of schools.
Why are we paying whackademics to study this sort of thing?
Professor Caraher suggested schools adopt a “closed gates” policy at lunchtime, to ensure pupils ate more nutritious school meals.
“I think there is a duty of care for schools that we should be keeping kids on the premises,” he said.
Well, of course you do. That's because you're a tiresome little control freak. And I wouldn't bet against the kids finding some other way to get around any restrictions you care to dream up anyway...
“Most of the purchasing was in pairs or small groups. We were quite astounded by that. It was pupils combining resources to get a good deal.”
More than half of pupils at the other schools would seek cheap deals, finding 99p options like chips and curry sauce or small pizzas preferable to a £2.20 school lunch.
Money’s tight. Why should they be expected to stump up for a more-expensive meal, yet not expected to have to bear the cost of a uniform?

11 comments:

Joe Public said...

".......to a £2.20 school lunch."

It's very civic-minded of those pupils.

School meals at £2.20 are heavily subsidised. So every one 'not eaten' saves the taxpayer a small fortune. Maybe enough to finance some academic research ;-)

James Higham said...

Professor Caraher suggested schools adopt a “closed gates” policy at lunchtime, to ensure pupils ate more nutritious school meals.

And give particular thought as to where the gun turrets go.

John Pickworth said...

Professor Caraher suggested schools adopt a “closed gates” policy at lunchtime...

May I suggest a weighbridge instead?

Or perhaps just some good ol' fashioned racial profiling?

Haringey childhood obesity rates by year 6...

Other Black: 43.59%
Bangladeshi: 37.84%
Caribbean Black: 30.04%
Pakistani: 29.63%
African Black: 25.52%
Chinese: 16.67%
Indian: 11.54%
British White: 8.84%
Irish White: 5.41%


By the time they're 20 many of them will be demanding disability benefits, expensive medical treatments on the NHS, Motability cars.... and another helping of pie.

So yeah, something should be done. But just not what these so-called experts are proposing. Remove the feeding trough at lunchtime and many of them will just fill up later in the day when schools out.

Demetrius said...

Let them eat cabbage.

Anonymous said...

"We were astounded"
"Combining resources to get a good deal"
`cos its not like humans have been doing that for the last 50,000 years or so.

Anonymous said...

Professor Caraher suggested schools adopt a “closed gates” policy at lunchtime...

From the School Gates at the front, to the playing fields at the back, an 'Iron Curtain' has descended upon our education system.

blueknight said...

..to limit fast-food takeaways within 400 metres of schools...
So at least the kiddie winkies get some exercise before they fill up with Monster Munch and Sunny D?

Twenty_Rothmans said...

{Professor Caraher professor of food and health policy at City University, (couldn't get a real job) probably wants 'Arbeit Macht Frei' on the gates as well.

He's just Ronald McDonald of the Righteous.
(Come on, Julia, do I ever get QOTM?)

Leg-iron said...

Back when I worked as a lecturer, one of the office staff complained that the business management students were taking out student loans they didn't need, banking the money for the duration of the course, then repaying the money at the end and keeping the interest.

I said they should all get first class Honours degrees in business management because they're already managing money perfectly well!

The intelligent kids around here (there are some), the ones who like that Red Bull stuff, get together to buy four of the cheap version for a pound and it costs them 25p each. The real thing costs over a pound each.

This sort of teamwork and reasoning will have to be stamped out, or they won't fall for those supermarket 'deals' that are no such thing!

JuliaM said...

"School meals at £2.20 are heavily subsidised. So every one 'not eaten' saves the taxpayer a small fortune."

Apparently not - if they are uneaten, it's a cost to the school. How public sector orgs write contracts, eh?

"And give particular thought as to where the gun turrets go."

Heh!

"Or perhaps just some good ol' fashioned racial profiling?"

It's not often mentioned, but it's a clear factor.

"`cos its not like humans have been doing that for the last 50,000 years or so."

One wonders how the prof shops. But then, one realises we're probably subsidising his canteen... :/

JuliaM said...

"So at least the kiddie winkies get some exercise before they fill up with Monster Munch and Sunny D?"

Momster Munch is still around, but I haven't seen Sunny D for years!

"Come on, Julia, do I ever get QOTM?"

Have you got a blog?

"This sort of teamwork and reasoning will have to be stamped out, or they won't fall for those supermarket 'deals' that are no such thing!"

Sadly, true!