What is the reason for this?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/s...fed-by-their-teachers

So 79% of teachers claim that pupils turn up hungry, I note that 'hungry' was not defined and as kids are always hungry (having had four myself I am a pretty good authority) what does this actually mean?

2/3 of teachers in the teachers survey reckon it's down to lack of care (busy trying to get to work?, not bothering because the child 'accessory' is now becoming a pain perhaps? )

Hardly surprising from a bunch of left wingers 57% blamed lack of money. This I am very doubtful about. I wonder how many of these parents pitch up to the school fag in hand? Food does not have to be expensive(so long as you are not trying to fed your family from the takeaway or ready meals).

So, fellow ABers, what are your thoughts?

[Mick-Talbot]

Just asked the kids ..... none of them have ever known it happen.

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// I beg to differ. If you have an income of £1,000 a month and your mortgage and bills cost £1,000 a month how do you feed yourself? ///

Aren't you are slightly exaggerating? If that was the case one would soon die of starvation, and judging by the size of some of these so called 'hard-up' women, I don't think many go short as regards food.

[naomi24]

By talking about children who don’t want to eat breakfast, etc, we’ve gone off track a bit. This is about children who aren’t offered breakfast and who go to school hungry.

[joeluke]

How difficult is it for a young child to pour some cereal and milk into a bowl?

It's nowt to do with teachers whether a pupil has had breakfast or not anyway, or are they working for social services as well now?

[Zeuhl]

^
Yes, heaven forbid that teachers should be looking out for children in their care who are displaying signs of neglect or abuse

[joeluke]

^ a child who hasn't had breakfast is hardly a sign of neglect or abuse

[Zeuhl]

On the contrary - it is a sign

It doesn't mean that they ARE being neglected but it is an indicator of possible problems

evidence: in a high proportion of neglect and abuse cases early indicators include things like missed meals or irregular eating habits

[joeluke]

Child doesn't have breakfast - 2 possible reasons (apart from them being neglected and abused of course):

Child doesn't actually WANT breakfast

Child gets up too late to have breakfast

[Barmaid]

3rd reason

Utter breakdown in communication between parent and step parent on a busy morning and child never says "where's breakfast". (Adult's fault I know, but cock ups do happen). Long story but it happened recently when I got up at 4am to work and dash off to Court, step son got up as I went for a shower, Mr BM assumed I had "done" breakfast, I assumed he would do breakfast as I was working and child never said a thing (unusually cos his stomach rules his head) til he was at school. No fuss, he had plenty of food in his bag.

[joeluke]

Barmaid.....shame on you, serious case of neglect, expect a visit from social services anyday soon

[solvitquick]

I am somewhat surprised to find so many respondents have leapt to the conclusions that this survey identifies some fundemental truth about the nutritional and parenting of our children! I dare say it's an ideal snippet to be snatched-at by the do-gooders to boast of their perfect parenting and to have a snipe at those whose lifestyle they disapprove of (even tho' those disapproved of might be good parents or not parents at all).
Such jumpers-to-conclusions are always swallowing unsubstantiated claims. Typical are the "six-a-day fruit & veg brigade" or the "breakfast is the most important meal etc". Like the "hungry school-kids", where is the real SCIENTIFIC evidence?
If chefs and others were making their health claims for a new drug, it would take at least a decade to prove by FDA or NICE standards.
An example for the gullible: smoking has progressively decreased over decades now, but chest and heart problems have increased. Ooops.
PERHAPS THE KIDS ARE HUNGRY BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING FORCE-FED RABBIT FOOD WHEN THEY NEED HIGH CALORIE FOOD LIKE HAMBURGHERS OR HOT-DOGS.
The best nourished people were those in WW2 where the principle diet was well-battered fish and chips plus jam buttties!
In my experience of a few thankfully-distant schoolteacher friends - they all see themselves as psychiatrists (assessing dysfunctionality, dyslexia etc), behavioural psychologists (blame the parents if you cannot control the class), nutritionists and general polymaths EXCEPT in one area: DOING THEIR JOB of teaching their subject(s). Here, notably teaching children that learning is not fun but hard work.
So teachers views on child-hunger are rubbish because it is outsde of their intellectual sphere. "If you can't DO then TEACH but when that is boring pretend you have extra expertise" - after all, meddling beats working.
Regards.
SIQ.

[sherrardk]

To be fair to the teachers questioned they probably know something of the pupils backgrounds and know which ones are from homes that are short of cash or where the adults don't put the kids first. I think it's admirable that they feed the ones who need it, I wouldn't have!

[modeller]

ummmm#I thought they only paid the interest on your mortgage?#
Didn't you claim earlier that means testing didn't include overheads .

ummm #Yes, but they are means tested. Means testing doesn't take into account your overheads. #

Now you admit interest on a morgage is paid for by the state.
You are right , so is your rent .
Other benefits available for those on low income include:
housing benefit , council tax benefit ,and gas ,water and electricityt benefit.
Maybe you can tell us what are those overheads that you claim are not taken into account.

[Mamyalynne]

modeller


//gas ,water and electricity benefit.//

Do pray tell, what are these?? An absolute revelation to me and I am sure many others.

[ummmm]

I've never heard of those benefits either. Are you suggesting that people on benefits get everything for free?

[Mamyalynne]

Amazing isn't it?

[ummmm]

My friend was on benefits and she had to pay for her utilities.

[Mamyalynne]

These are the type of things regularly trotted out....free this that and the other - falsehoods and cause unrest based on nothing more than hearsay.

[Mamyalynne]

Interesting that modeller and indeed anyone else in the know are loathe to share the names or numbers of the forms to claim these utility freebies.

[sherrardk]

You can get a reduction in your water bill if you are are in receipt of certain benefits or someone has a qualifying medical condition - http://www.dwrcymru.c...elsh_water_assist.pdf