Sandwiches for lunch = child abuse?

We have offered to pay for the school lunch, in a note to the teacher today. We will see if that solves the problem.

However, we were told last year that we only needed to sign a form that would exempt us from paying the fee (which we did). Not really sure why it has suddenly become an issue.

Oh, and by the way, this isn’t a kindergarten, it’s a public elementary school. My son’s in second grade.

Because in the end most problems with the Taiwanese are about or can be solved by money

Indeed. A criminal libel (okay, “slander”). Defamation. At least. Who’ll give me defamation? Yes, you Sir, in the horse hair wig. Do I have anyone for slander? Slander, come on gentlemen, it’s a no-brainer… thank you ma’am! Slander, going once - I think we can go for libel here - who’ll argue it’s criminal? What about you sir in the Robert Peel hat? No? Alright, then, I’m only asking for common or garden libel. Anyone? What do you mean “not repeated to a third party”? The third party is included in the price, Sir! Going once… It’s a steal…! [and so on for NT$94mn…]

[quote]Fox wrote:
The school or teacher might be getting kick backs from the lunchbox vendor, a very common practice.

Oh of course! Now I get it! Bingo! (I have ignored my own advice to noobs: If there is something odd going on in Taiwan you don’t understand, it is because of cost-cutting or money-making)
[/quote]

No point in parading your ignorance you dullard. The practice of lunchbox kickbacks is one of the most widely practiced scams on Taiwan especially in public schools.

I would totally go on the allergy approach if they want to get pissy about it. Why should you have to pay for food your kid isn’t eating?

You want to know about child abuse through food? Let me tell you about the overweight 4-year-old kid in my first nursery class here who couldn’t walk on a 6-inch wide balance beam or run normally. His mother used to send him to school with oreos and water for a snack. When his back teeth rotted (before he had even turned 5 years old), she substituted the oreos with chocolate cake because the cookies hurt his teeth. For lunch he got red bean sandwiches. She said it was because he didn’t like eating anything that wasn’t sweet.

He would be in the second grade by now too. How come no one’s blowing the whistle on parents like this?

[quote=“TheGingerMan”] … Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if the root of this comment came from the possibility that one of your child’s classmates said something to their parents about how he has to eat boring old white rice, while another kid in the class gets to eat these great sandwiches. …

J[/quote]

Exactly my thoughts. Combined with the kick-back scheme, you have:

hit
nail
head

[quote=“Fox”][quote]Fox wrote:
The school or teacher might be getting kick backs from the lunchbox vendor, a very common practice.

Oh of course! Now I get it! Bingo! (I have ignored my own advice to noobs: If there is something odd going on in Taiwan you don’t understand, it is because of cost-cutting or money-making)
[/quote]

No point in parading your ignorance you dullard. The practice of lunchbox kickbacks is one of the most widely practiced scams on Taiwan especially in public schools.[/quote]

WTF is wrong with you? :astonished:

I was not being sarcastic. Did you think I was? Sorry - you have the wrong end of the stick. I do know about this practice, as I have taught in places where it was done, I just forgot. Strange…

There is nothing abusive about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! If carrot sticks and an apple come with it, and some milk to wash it down, you got a square meal! It may be a little heavy on suggar, but that’s okay if there aren’t a lot of suggary snacks and you’re brushing your kid’s teath.

This IS funny to me, however, because the first time I made my husband a PB&J, he gave me an awful look and demanded something else. Come to find out, he doesn’t like peanut butter and thought his mom was abusing him as a kid by making him eat them!

I’m serious!

It sounds like they just want your son conform; eat white rice, greasy veggies, and unidentifiable meat-like substance like all the other drones.

Join the Taiwanese Collective, resistance is futile.

[quote=“Dr_Zoidberg”]It sounds like they just want your son conform; eat white rice, greasy veggies, and unidentifiable meat-like substance like all the other drones.

Join the Taiwanese Collective, resistance is futile.[/quote]

I think you are correct.

Last year, my son’s school made him buy one of those super tight bathing suits that all the locals wear (for swimming class). They told him that his baggies, that he likes to wear, could “injure” another student in the pool… :s WTF?

Don’t back down from this, Fearsome orange. They can’t do shite. “child abuse”? Do other parents a favour by setting a precedent. I’m a grown man that will eat ANYTHING, but as a teacher I think it’s complete BS the kind of crap they expect and make kids eat here.

Over salty, over cooked mystery meat? Over-cooked mushy vegetables? Watery soup? Overcooked mushy rice? Pure crap. maybe a child’s body will appreciate this more than an adults, but I think in this case a parent knows best.

Just tell them that your kid is going to eat what you serve him, and if they want to cry “child abuse” they can talk to the media. That’s a completely bullshite claim. They simply can’t back it up.

I ate, every day, from grade 1 to grade 9, a PB& J sandwich, some sort of raw veggie, hot soup in a thermos, maybe some whole milk, and a cookie.
Quaker Oats for breakfast, with whole goat’s or cow’s milk.
Meat and potatoes every night.
Always lots of greens.

I wish my diet was that good now!

I hope your son is handling this ok. It’s not good to be singled out when you’re that young. I bet another student is jealous.

Child abuse. Sheesh

Take care
r

Send your kid in with a Dagwood-like quadruple sandwhich and call the teacher and say, “Is that better?”

Or order a large pizza for him while he’s at school and eat it on the steps one day. Offer the teacher a slice.

Or go in yourself to “inspect” the food and throw it out in front of everyone saying, “Oh. This is bad for your health, son. Don’t ever eat this again. If you see it, please get the school to call me.”

Then tell your son when he’s older what you did and he will respect you and look up to you. Nothin’ matters but your own family and people that try to disrespect that need a lesson in life.

For the last 5 years, my wife has held various positions at the PTA in the local, public elementary school where out kids go. One of her tasks has been to inspect the tender companies for the lunchbox, so she is pretty familiar with the politics surrounding this topic (at least for this specific school).

This school encourage the parents to prepare the kids’ lunch, and discourage them from eating lunch-box. A lot of parents are too busy, lazy or otherwise does not provide lunch, so the school need a system in place to feed these kids.

Last year, they cancelled the pre-packed lunch boxes, and set up a small kind of mini-buffet, where the kids can shoose their meat, vegetable, rice etc. to compose their own lunch. They have got only positive feedback from studens, parents and teachers alike for this - and it is less waste and they save money. Even our own kids have started eating the school lunch now (and put us in the category of lazy/busy parents).

My wife is actually pretty upset about your experience, and would like to know which school this is, so she could have a word with them.

On the other hand. She also said that if the sandwich lunch is the same every day, it can be conceived by the teacher as too little variation for the kid, and the teacher is “programmed” by the culture to consider this “not good for the kid”…

The teachers are not involved in the luncbox business at “our” school, that is the PTA’s job.

Good luck with fight for deciding by yourself what your kids should eat. Don’t let the teacher dictate you or your kid.

Ok, just one more time for the record:

My son’s teacher did not use the term child abuse. That was a term used by my buxiban manager, a completely different school totally unrelated. My manager was trying to give me the Taiwanese perspective, even though she herself may not agree with it.

Here is the email I got from the teacher:

=====
?? will study in Taiwan for a long time.
I think he should learn to eat lunch at school.
Beside, our school don’t have kitchen. We cooperate with another Elementary School.
The contract shows all teachers and students must eat lunch at school.
If one of teachers or students don’t eat lunch at school, that will violate the contract.
For ??'s nutrition, I really hope he can try to eat lunch at school.

X3M I would pass on that information to your wife, but I am afraid that it will make my son’s life more difficult. It is a sad but true fact that personal feelings often trump professionalism in this country, and I don’t want to do anything that would make his teacher angry.

[quote=“FearsomeOrange”]Ok, just one more time for the record:

My son’s teacher did not use the term child abuse. That was a term used by my buxiban manager, a completely different school totally unrelated. My manager was trying to give me the Taiwanese perspective, even though she herself may not agree with it.

Here is the email I got from the teacher:

=====
?? will study in Taiwan for a long time.
I think he should learn to eat lunch at school.
Beside, our school don’t have kitchen. We cooperate with another Elementary School.
The contract shows all teachers and students must eat lunch at school.
If one of teachers or students don’t eat lunch at school, that will violate the contract.
For ??'s nutrition, I really hope he can try to eat lunch at school.

X3M I would pass on that information to your wife, but I am afraid that it will make my son’s life more difficult. It is a sad but true fact that personal feelings often trump professionalism in this country, and I don’t want to do anything that would make his teacher angry.[/quote]

I don’t think your son eats his lunch outside the school, so he is actually eating lunch AT school.

The contract is odd to me as it states all teachers and students MUST eat this lunch?? BTW who is the contract between?Your school and another school? It’s not like the Department of Education is telling them to eat this food, it’s the contract with the food provider isn’t it??

Bull
Feces

I’m so glad I’ll get to deal with this bovine fecal matter next year. :unamused:

In that case, let them feed your kid shite every day.
I still maintain that probably your best bet is the cooking oil/msg allergy.

[quote=“sandman”]

In that case, let them feed your kid shite every day.
.[/quote]

What a singularly unhelpful remark. The OP has to juggle the two issues: making sure the child gets the food he wants/needs, and doing the right thing by the teacher/school, for the sake of a quiet life for his child. If he wasn’t concerned about the latter, he wouldn’t have posted.

[quote=“smithsgj”][quote=“sandman”]

In that case, let them feed your kid shite every day.
.[/quote]

What a singularly unhelpful remark. The OP has to juggle the two issues: making sure the child gets the food he wants/needs, and doing the right thing by the teacher/school, for the sake of a quiet life for his child. If he wasn’t concerned about the latter, he wouldn’t have posted.[/quote]
You’re right. I owe FearsomeOrange an apology.

Thanks Sandman, easily accepted.

My first reaction was to call the principal of the school, but my manager (who is often the person I turn to first for advice in peculiarly Taiwanese situations) immediately suggested that wasn’t a good idea. It would put the teacher on the defensive, and though it might ‘solve’ the lunch issue would likely make things worse for my son in other ways.

Unfortunately I think she is right. It seems like even when you ‘win’ here in Taiwan, you ultimately lose in other directions. As I said before, professionalism seems to go right out the window when someone’s feelings have been hurt, or face has been lost. :loco: