Shaming Children Who Can't Pay For School Lunch
I've seen a number of stories in the news about teachers and school staff shaming children unable to pay for their lunch at school. Even though the media is finding this a current hot topic, it has always been an issue that deserves discussing.
The Problem
Basically what is going on is that there are schools who punish children for their families being unable to pay lunch fees for school meals. There have been reports of schools throwing children's lunches in the trash (sometimes in front of the child) for not having money to pay. Some schools will refuse to let a child have any food so they go to class hungry. Sometimes school staff will label the child as a bad kid just because they come from a low income family and can't pay their lunch bill.
Bullying and Emotional Effects.
When a child is shamed for not being able to pay for their lunch, there are many effects on the child. For one they are embarrassed in front of their peers. Children can be cruel and a poor child outed as being poor means they become open to ridicule by their peers. There is a stigma attached to being poor. Children who can't pay for lunch or receive free or reduced price lunches are looked down upon by other children. Bullying becomes an issue when children tease and ridicule other children for their families socioeconomic status.
Firing Lunch Staff For Giving Kids Food They Couldn't Afford
I've read a number of stories where lunch staff, who can't stand seeing kids go hungry, feed these kids anyway. In numerous cases these lunch staff are fired for reasons sited such as "theft of school property." How can any person take food away from a hungry child and watch them sit in a cafeteria surrounded by other children eating knowing that child is probably starving? How can a school charge someone with "theft" for taking pity on kids who are suffering because their families can't afford lunch fees?
How sad is it that a school will fire someone for refusing to let kids go hungry? For children from low income households, school meals might be the only good and nutritious meal they receive. It is also harder for a child to learn on an empty stomach so they are hurt academically. School districts need to design lunch programs to take care of all students and have backup plans to watch out for those kids who are from low socioeconomic families who need help.
My Own Experiences
My family was poor growing up and I qualified for the free lunch program. In elementary school all children had a lunch card so you never knew if a kid got free lunch or if their parent paid. In junior high and high school it was different. I qualified for free lunches but on my first day of school I saw every kid in line paying with cash. I was the only kid with a card. It was embarrassing. Only kids who were poor had a lunch card.
I stopped eating lunch by the 8th grade to avoid people knowing I was poor. I would go from 8:00 am to 2:15 pm without having a meal. By the time I got home I was starving. I never got teased though so I was fine missing lunch since I got to avoid the stigma I saw placed on other poor kids.Nobody seemed to care I didn't eat. I never had school staff ask me why I didn't have a lunch. I never told my mom I was hungry during the day. I didn't want her to know I was afraid of being bullied for being poor. It was easier to lie and say I didn't like eating lunch and preferred to wait until I got home.
Both schools and children bullying those who can't pay for lunch is a big issue.
It's unfair that children are punished for not having the means to pay for school lunch. They are punished by having to go hungry and they are punished verbally/emotionally by the label of "shame" put on them. Schools should work harder to reduce the stigmas placed on kids from a low socioeconomic status. They need to put programs into place so that all kids appear equal in the lunch line to allow children and their families privacy on how they pay for school lunch.
Sources:
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/opinion/punishing-kids-for-unpaid-lunch-bills.html
- http://abcnews.go.com/US/idaho-lunch-lady-fired-giving-free-meal-student/story?id=35941119
- http://www.scarymommy.com/oregon-school-lunch-shaming-illegal
I volunteered for a school and there was one boy who always wanted extra food and I remember an adult commenting that he was greedy. Even if the kid was "greedy" I decided to take the left over food the kids did not eat save them for that child and stuffed his greedy little backpack.
The food the school does not serve they save it for the next day and sometimes I assume they throw it away. but if you have leftovers or going to trash it anyway I don't see the logic in throwing away food. It makes no sense.
As a volunteer at that school I was told I can ask the cafeteria for lunch because they always had leftovers. Kids knew if they didn't like the food they can place it on the back table. The lunch staff will fetch the food after lunch was over. (FOOD ALREADY PAID FOR) I was told that I had to buy a lunch a lunch at full price. I refused and a teacher bought me lunch that day and informed me when to get the free lunches.
I have to say some of those teachers really respected school volunteers because sometimes they needed all the help they could get.
There should always be something in place for these children. Learn better when you're not hungry :)
There is no reason for a child to ever go hungry, great article friend.
Reading heart-rending stories like this just confirm for me a disdain for compulsory education along with all forms of state-engendered coercion.
Conversely, it confirms my strong belief that @canadian-coconut and others are on absolutely the right track with the "radical unschooling" movement.
😄😇😄
I do have a lot of issues with the education system and things like governmental regulation of schools. I'm a big supporter of homeschooling and seriously am considering teaching my kid myself rather than have her deal with a system I disagree with.
You go, girl! ;)
This bullying crap is much worse than when I was in school. I graduated high school in 84 for reference.
I think it's worse today than in the past. Especially now that kids can bully on social media. Even in 2004 when I graduated it wasn't as bad as now I feel.
Hello again I wrote an article inspired by what you wrote and I thought I would share the link with you :)
https://steemit.com/food/@jpinka/my-response-and-add-on-to-marxrab-s-article-shaming-children-who-could-not-pay-for-school-lunches
Oh I just saw it in my feed lol. I was going to put the link here in the comments for others to see but you beat me to it. I'll leave you a comment over on your post.
Nice article, very true. in my daughters school they all have a number to their
account which could be either a paid account or a free lunch one so no one knows what anyone has. Upvoted, followed & resteemed!
This is horrible. The school lunch is free here in Sweden. As it damn well should be.