Should schools need to provide breakfast?

Question

I live in Pennsylvania and our school was recently criticized by the local newspaper company for not having breakfast for the students. Part of me feels like we need to provide breakfast because there's parents/guardians out there who make no effort for the kids (or can't because of financial situations). On the other hand, I feel like schools are being asked to do almost everything for kids, and that by providing breakfast, that's just one more responsibility that schools shouldn't have. I'm curious to hear what people think about the issue.

Answer 1

I think that they should have "a breakfast club" because some students are sometimes late for school because of having to eat breakfast, if there was a breakfast club then the students could eat there. However i feel that soemtimes the students may take advantage of such a program, which would cost your school and any school for that matter a fortune...there for I think it should be up to the parents to help with money and food... I think maybe a donation of $10.00 a month or a box of cereal or oatmeal...or some bagels would do just fine... Or if your caeteria at school doesnt sell breakfast foods maybe they could start... They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day...and teachers are constantly saying if you eat in the morning than u will be able to think more thru the day....well if they were there to help you with breakfast then more children would be able to eat!
Hope i helped.

Answer 2

I don't think that schools should be providing breakfasts. I understand that the practice started to help out kids from poor families who did not necessarily get a breakfast in the morning. When it first started here, the kids who qualified actually had to be in a specific room at a certain time to get their breakfast and had to have some card or their name on a list or something to be able to get it. I have heard since that there are some schools providing breakfast for all students who want it or who have widened the limits to who can actually have the breakfast.

But I don't see how that's the schools' responsibility. Since the schools' money comes from the government, if the government feels these kids should get a tax-payer funded breakfast, then why not have the goverment send them breakfast in some way or another? Like food vouchers for Quaker oatmeal or something.

Frankly, by doing this, it's just another way to encourage and enable the growing dependency on schools to do what parents should be doing. Schools are already spending too much time raising kids because too many parents won't do it themselves and have enough on their plates (forgive the pun) without having to provide breakfasts for kids. Schools are there for education, not for stuff like this. It seems to me that a student's lack of breakfast, for whatever reason, would be better suited for social services to take care of than an educational institution.

Answer 3

Well, kids do better in school if they eat breakfast. Parents that feed their children won't stop feeding them if breakfast programs are started, but the parents who don't feed their children won't start to if the kid isn't getting breakfast elsewhere. So, is it better for society on a whole to feed kids. I think the answer is yes.

I am also afraid of what school lunch has become- devoid of nutrition, packed with preservatives, and plenty of carbohydrates (none of them complex). We should be finding ways to incorporate healthy, locally grown, non adulterated food prepared in a healthy way to our kids. Revolutionary, I know. This may require actually getting a lunchroom staff again. We can find ways within our communities to make differences that really have an effect on positive change.

Answer 4

I live in TN. School breakfast is available here but it is only served prior to first bell.
I do not believe that it is the public's responsibility to feed children that individuals gave birth to. Individuals, that were very aware from the moment of conception,of the impossibility of financially supporting an additional family member.
Individuals exist, that are perfectly capable of improving their situation, but refuse to try because they are warm, fed and dry by the efforts of everyone but themselves. These are the individuals that ask the public to care for their own.
If only personal responsibility became the norm, the world would be a much safer place.

I realize that children born to these circumstances cannot be held responsible for their needs not answered by their parents, but I also believe that people who learn how to "do" out of desperation learn to "do" it best. Make the parents "do" and hopefully they "can".

Answer 5

Some parents/guardians may not make the effort or are unable to provide breakfast for their children. The child may not get up in time, or there may not be anything in the house to eat. Making ends meet sometimes can be tough for parents who are raising children. It would be helpful if light snacks are available. (Fruit, granola snacks, crackers, juice, milk.) It's not much, but to a child it can settle a "growling" tummy.

Answer 6

Schools are responsible for educating their students. If the students are hungry they cannot learn up to their potential. Therefore it is perfectly reasonable to expect schools to provide breakfast for kids in true need, just like they must provide for kids with physical or mental handicaps.

Answer 7

Wow Raul schools in the USA provide breakfast? European here never had that before. Can't beleive that someone would expect the schools to provide breakfast. What next lunch, dinner and supper?

Answer 8

that is so weird! i go to cocalico and i read that artical in the newspaper in english today! its not completely horrible that schools like ours dont do breakfast but it does cut down on costs P.S. Dont feel bad about that cocalicos football team sucks!

Answer 9

yes scools should provide students with breakfast because some can not efford to have one at home and some ppl even me only went to school so we had meal so by provding food we'll go and learn

Answer 10

in my town all schools elem. middle and high provide breakfast, it's nice to do so. it keeps students from being hungary and more social time to be with friends in the morning.