hackey lad Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Just seen a report on the news about the kids at Handsworth School collecting for a food bank which is all very noble and nice. However the headmistress was trying to make some type of political point about a child at the school not having eaten for 3 days from Friday lunchtime to Monday lunchtime. She seemed to think that this was because of poverty and that giving food to a food bank would solve it. I was watching it thinking what a pile of steaming doo doo. If a child has not been fed for 3 days that child is not a victim of poverty, they're a victim of bad parents and child abuse. If my child did not have food I would beg, borrow or steal to get it. I would go to my local church and ask for help, I would find a Sikh temple, I would walk to a food bank, a soup kitchen, I would shoplift if forced but I would never let my child starve. If the child hadn't eaten for 3 days the parent must have either not been there or not cared. Is it just me or is it a bit disgusting that this headmistress is trying to make political capital out of what should essentially be a child abuse case? and clive betts popped in for a photoshoot:huh: he gave no answers to the problem just there to score cheap points and indulge in a bit of political muck raking:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Clowning Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 There's no call for it, do without, don't pay the bills, shoplift, anything but make sure the kids eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bypassblade Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Drugs, fags and alcohol. The benefit level is enough to eat 3 square meals a day, if it isn't...then it's being misspent. Yes it is totally unacceptable that a kid goes 3 days without being fed, but straight away someone jumps to conclusion that the parent has spent it all as described. What if the parent has done a runner, despicable but it happens not all who are on benefits spend them as described, and not all in work could be feeding their kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grenoside123 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Absoltely. The school has a duty of care towards that child and should be contacting social services if not done so already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pessimistic1 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Bet the parents had a big telly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 If my kids were that hungry i wouldn't be able to post, as i'd have sold my puter. There is a market for malleable metal alloys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorphanger Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 No it's not just you. I agree, any parent who allows their child to go unfed for three days should not be allowed to be responsible for that child. The child should be placed with a foster parent until the parent is able to provide for them reliably and continuously. Totally agree with you. What sort of parent would allow this to happen to a child. Probably spent all their money on drink and cigarettes etc. Nothing left over to feed their child. DISGUSTING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlittlepup Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 Yes it is totally unacceptable that a kid goes 3 days without being fed, but straight away someone jumps to conclusion that the parent has spent it all as described. What if the parent has done a runner, despicable but it happens not all who are on benefits spend them as described, and not all in work could be feeding their kids. I think in this case it's probably a pretty fair conclusion. It was across the weekend. If the parent was there and compos mentis you can bet they would have got some food - for themselves it nothing else. But the fact it was across the weekend says to me that for those three days the parent was either drunk, on drugs or out had gone out on the lash. I think food banks are great. I know that if people lose their jobs and are waiting for their benefits to start they can be a god send in the stop gap. But I don't think it was right of them to use this case. It was quite clearly not a case where it was caused by poverty but by neglect. I think it was unfair on this poor kid to have it broadcast over the media and 'charity' being given as a consequence. They must have been mortified (even though they weren't identified). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain Talker Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 It's appalling, definitely, but we don't actually know what the parents' circumstances are, to be making these sorts of judgements. It could be something as simple as "the family are on a slot meter, for their power, and, because of the cold weather, had to put extra money on the meter, leaving them without enough for food.." On the other hand, it might be the case that the parent puts booze and fags before the child... we don't know. I know my own parents, always, without fail, managed to ensure we kids always had food in our bellies, clothes on our backs and coal for the fire, even though both my mum and dad smoked. (I also know there were occasions where my late mother chose to forego a needed pair of shoes, when it came to the choice of putting food on the table and her getting a pair of shoes. I've seen my late mother put cardboard in her shoes, to cover a hole through the sole, to give a few days more wear out of the shoes.) Not everyone has the skills my mother had, in budgeting... God knows, my father could give my mother a fiver, and she could make it stretch to £10, she was such a miracle worker when it came to budgeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 None of you/us know the facts. What we do know is that many are trying to make political capital from this and the head teacher should know better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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