Food Politics

My high school had the policy that we could not leave campus during school. I think it’s a good policy even though I lived across the street. There are so many benefits of keeping all the students in school:
1) it helps the food service avoid over production and there is no competing hot food
2) if the students are at school it is more likely they will be on time for their next class
3) it allows time for social interaction in a safe environment (no outside influences and safe from car crashes)
4) it encourages physical activity–at least with some students (at my school, many played basketball after eating)
5) the school food can be healthy–there is control over what is served
6) if they are leaving campus this rule is in effect probably supporting pizza & burger joints, promoting bad eating habits
7)outside food is more expensive so some students from low income families may put an extra burden on the family budget and/or not have enough money to eat lunch

Hmm, tricky! One of the best parts of being an upper classman was getting to escape the confines of high school (and do homework under a tree, or eat lunch at a friend’s house) during lunch hour. I wonder how crazy it is to ask that parents and students target bring healthy food vendors closer to their school? After all, it’s their community, and they live there even when school isn’t in session…

When I was in high school, we weren’t allowed to leave campus for lunch — I think it was to discourage skipping school in the afternoon, and as I dimly recall, there was an exemption on Fridays. But we ate lunch at school — whether you ate school lunch or brought your own. And it was school lunch — made by lunch ladies, one of whom lectured me when I was complaining about my mother wanting to hug me all the time. Ah, lunch ladies.

Daniel is probably right that locking children in at school would have all the salutary effects he lists. At my school, we also had to eat lunch at school–although this was principally because lunch was a time for intra-grade and faculty bonding and was part of our tradition.

On the other hand, I think children need both more discipline and more freedom, if people can fathom that. People began to get a sense of themselves as upper classmen with the associated privileges and that’s an important part of the learning process. I suspect that if the school provided healthy food and taught basic nutrition, then the results would be firmer and longer-lasting than simply creating a captive audience.

I don’t think children should be allowded to leave for lunch because of the unhealthy eating habits that would occur. People do not know the dangers of omega 3 fatty acids. Also, pregnancy could occur.