Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Nutrition for the Body, Nutrition for the Mind

Well its now law that schools have to provide decent food for they're pupils. This is excellent. Both our childrens classrooms have a place where you can leave they're snacks (fruit) and i have seen no vending machines, I have however seen numeous kids high on sugar, walking around just after school with crisps, candy-things and whatnot, that parents have brought them.

I know that some parents do this to appease they're child when they collect them. On one level it doesn't bother me at all - its not my kids after all - but my son said that a teacher had been hit by a pupil and I can't help but wonder if its sugar/additive related.

If schools enforce good nutrition inside, thats great, but what about when mum/dad arrives bearing poison gifts? The behavioural fallout still falls to the teacher/state/society to deal with
doesn't it?


We're also increasingly concerned that our children are actually learning anything yet. They have been well educated at home and creche so far, but Blaise, by contrast seems to be firmly in the 'let them play' strategy. Which is great as far as it goes, but my youngest was sent home with a picture book when he can read to the standard of the year above him, and when i asked for fresh books for my sons
the next day, I was refused, twice.

In the previous school (we have just moved house, and area) my eldest
came home with a new book almost every day. His reading needs were clearly being monitored daily, and his reading diary regularly filled in. I have been home educating them all summer, and, at least as far as reading goes, still need to fully educate them in this, as opposed to supplement the schools
reading program.

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