Parents: keep our kids in school over lunchtime
Three out of four parents agree that children should be made to stay in school at lunchtime to stop them buying unhealthy snacks and takeaways, according to a survey.
LACA, an organisation which represents catering managers, surveyed more than 12,000 parents. Their research revealed that the vast majority of parents believe that tough healthy food standards should apply to all schools, including academies.
The findings show that 73.4 per cent are in favour of secondary school students, up to the age of 16, being kept on school premises during lunchtimes for their own safety and to stop visits to local takeaways and shops.
A further third would like to see sixth-formers banned from leaving school at lunchtime.
Anne Bull, national chair of LACA, which conducted the study with dinner money payment service ParentPay, said that the significant numbers of parents in favour of keeping teenagers in is a “highly persuasive factor for head teachers to make changes to school policy”.
She said: “Whilst we cannot prevent students buying from takeaways and shops on the way to or after school, we should all be working together to help encourage young people to use the school food services more during the time they are at school.”
The study also examined views on strict nutritional guidelines that were introduced in England’s primaries in 2008 and secondaries in 2009.
In the past year concerns have been raised that academies, which are semi-independent state schools, are exempt from these rules, which other local authority-run schools must follow.
Health risks
TV chef Jamie Oliver has previously said this exemption is putting children’s future health at risk and recent research showed that over one in four academies is offering crisps and savoury snacks with one in six providing chocolate and sweets.
Education Secretary Michael Gove has always maintained that giving academies the choice to opt out of the nutritional standards gives them the freedom to do what is best for their students.
The LACA study, published to mark the start of National School Meals Week, revealed that two fifths said that their child’s school was meeting the current standards, while more than half said they did not know if they were.
Mr Oliver, who has published a school meals manifesto aimed at making sure children know how to cook and eat healthy food, said: “It’s blatantly clear from the outcome of the LACA/ParentPay survey – which is a direct representation of what busy parents in this day and age actually think – what a humungous impact health has on our lives.
“I just hope that they show the results to Mr Gove and that he does something positive with the data.”
Mr Gove has ordered a new review into school food, led by the founders of the Leon restaurant chain.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “The quality of school food is absolutely vital. It is encouraging to see that the majority of parents are satisfied with schools meals and see them as affordable.
“Some maintained schools and academies have said that they find the food standards too bureaucratic, difficult to administer and rigid.
“Despite not having to stick to them, many academies are actually exceeding the standards and are offering their pupils very high quality, nutritional food.”