Children left ‘hungry’ by school ban on meat
PARENTS have slated a new school for only serving vegetarian lunches – complaining their children were returning hungry.
The school insists on meatfree cooking while also banning pupils from bringing packed meals.
The veggie menu in the state secondary school’s canteen includes lentil lasagne, minted pea and feta frittata and Quorn sausage and potato bake.
Bemused
Families are baffled by the dietary approach at The Swan School in Oxford, which opened on Monday.
One mum said: “My daughter came home today very hungry. I’ve heard that a lot of children were very hungry as well. There should be an option to eat meat. I’ve never known a school to be like this.”
Another bemused parent added: “That’s another school I won’t be applying for my daughter to go to.” The school has 100 pupils but will eventually have 1,260.
But some parents were not worried by the veggie diet. Ian Haigh said: “It’s not as if the students can’t get their meat fix in the evenings.”
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver last week encouraged schools to go meat-free. He said: “Schools going veggie is a brilliant idea. It would save loads of money.” The school said parents were made aware of the policy, and meat and fish snacks were available at break times.
Headteacher Kay Wood said: “Vegetarian meals allow us to serve better quality meals for the same money. There are huge environmental and sustainability benefits. Most importantly, it allows students of all faiths and dietary needs to eat together.”