School cracks down on app-delivered food
Aditi.R@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.03.2019
Three days ago, during the lunch break, a Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam student went to the reception to collect a food parcel brought by a delivery man, ordered and paid for by her parents through an online app. The child later shared the food with friends.
Noticing this, principal Gowri Sivashankar immediately sent out an email to parents of all students from Classes II to XII. The message read: “It has been brought to our notice that parents order through Swiggy and Ubereats for food to be delivered in school for their children, for various reasons during lunch breaks. This will not be entertained and the ordered food will be sent back. The reception has been instructed to not accept these deliveries.”
The first-of-a-kind crackdown on consumption of junk food through food delivery apps was widely received. “One day as I was going to drop lunch for my son, I saw a few food delivery personnel outside the gate handing over parcels to students. I was surprised, because earlier parents used to do the job,” said Sukumari K, a homemaker whose child is a Class 8 student of the school.
In 2015, the Delhi high court restricted sale of foods high in fat, salt and sugar in and around schools. In November last year, the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights wrote to its state representatives to inspect and ensure that school children do not consume such foods.
“But what do we do when parents have found an easier way to feed them, that too through delivery apps,” asked a teacher, on condition of anonymity. “Off late we noticed that many parents have resorted to feeding children food available on these apps and not home-cooked meals. This is a problem.”
The principal added that it was ok to eat outside food once in a while, but nutrition can only be provided by home-cooked food. “We don’t want to open avenues where children lose their discipline and become dependant on instant food.”
The first-of-a-kind crackdown on consumption of junk food through food delivery apps by a school has been widely received
Aditi.R@timesgroup.com
Chennai:16.03.2019
Three days ago, during the lunch break, a Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam student went to the reception to collect a food parcel brought by a delivery man, ordered and paid for by her parents through an online app. The child later shared the food with friends.
Noticing this, principal Gowri Sivashankar immediately sent out an email to parents of all students from Classes II to XII. The message read: “It has been brought to our notice that parents order through Swiggy and Ubereats for food to be delivered in school for their children, for various reasons during lunch breaks. This will not be entertained and the ordered food will be sent back. The reception has been instructed to not accept these deliveries.”
The first-of-a-kind crackdown on consumption of junk food through food delivery apps was widely received. “One day as I was going to drop lunch for my son, I saw a few food delivery personnel outside the gate handing over parcels to students. I was surprised, because earlier parents used to do the job,” said Sukumari K, a homemaker whose child is a Class 8 student of the school.
In 2015, the Delhi high court restricted sale of foods high in fat, salt and sugar in and around schools. In November last year, the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights wrote to its state representatives to inspect and ensure that school children do not consume such foods.
“But what do we do when parents have found an easier way to feed them, that too through delivery apps,” asked a teacher, on condition of anonymity. “Off late we noticed that many parents have resorted to feeding children food available on these apps and not home-cooked meals. This is a problem.”
The principal added that it was ok to eat outside food once in a while, but nutrition can only be provided by home-cooked food. “We don’t want to open avenues where children lose their discipline and become dependant on instant food.”
The first-of-a-kind crackdown on consumption of junk food through food delivery apps by a school has been widely received
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