An open letter to the head of Bitterne Park Secondary School published on a parent’s blog claims that some children don’t actually get time to eat lunch because the school’s canteen queue is so long.
Dr S Phillps says that one of his children queues from the start of the lunch period – which he says is just 35 minutes long – and “very often has to throw food away uneaten as there is not enough time to eat it”. He adds that his other children have experienced similar queues.
“In my opinion, lunchtime should be an opportunity for social interaction as well as food, but even the basic necessity of being able to eat food is lacking,” writes Dr Phillips.
He goes on to pose the question: “How long do you think someone should have to eat their lunch?”
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His children, he reports, thought 20 minutes would be good.
He also points out that one of the main reasons given for installing the biometric identification system last term was to speed up lunch queues – and he also questions why the school allows vending machines selling crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks.
You can read the full letter on his blog, as well as his earlier correspondence about “fingerprints for food”.