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school milk

longman

News this morning is that Michael Gove is reintroducing compulsory school milk in schools, as well as banning chocolates and sweets from sale in schools, and banning cakes and biscuits, except in a restricted form at lunch times, and banning all fried food.

My understanding is school milk used to cause problems for people on the spectrum because of the way it was served up, and the circumstances.

The food restrictions are also bound to cause problems.

I thought I'd raise the question as others may have immediate concerns.

  • longman said:
    My understanding is school milk used to cause problems for people on the spectrum because of the way it was served up, and the circumstances.

    Asperger syndrome or low functioning ASD?

    Primary schools in my local authority provide milk from nursery to Y2. I can't recall any children and teenagers with AS who have passed through my local support group that had any reactions with milk and they all seem to have drank school milk at some point in time. The milk changed from full fat to semi-skimmed a few years ago with the possibility that it could have caused complications with some children. 

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    This is another change that the ASD kids will have to deal with. :-(

    They may well get used to the routine of it while it lasts (I remember school milk with a vague fondness) :-) I don't remember being forced to drink it, I don't think any teachers these days will impose great penalties on a child that declines the offer of a free drink.

    It'll be scrapped again in due course by a new minister so the ASD kids will have to cope with that disruption when it happens. :-(

    If it means that fewer kids are eating junk food for a while then I'm mildly in favour. I imagine ASD kids might do better on a good diet?

  • I can see the appeal of providing full fat milk for primary kids because milk builds strong bones,  but no kid should be forced to drink the milk - it should be optional.

  • I do like the term clotpole.

    I'm not sure how schools are going to police this when high school children can bring in their own food to consume.  Both of my childrens high schools (3 altogether) have kids everywhere as there is never enough room in a canteen.  At the current school that my daughter should be going, they eat in corridors, classrooms as well as outside and that isn't one big space easy to patrol.

    The other point I'd like to make, my ASD daughter finds eating in front of other people difficult and will tend to eat things that look 'cool' like a bag of crisps.  I can relate to not selling junk in canteens but you cant force kids to eat certain foods and if they want to promote health, they need to spend more time educating the positive aspects of healthy eating alongside restricting what they can't have.

  • the funny thing is he didn't go to Eaton. Indeed his background ought to have made him more down to earth, practical and realistic. Maybe he has hung around too long with the Eton chronies and picked up bad habits.....

    He did have a bit of an accident making the King James Bible compulsory in schools two years ago, but there wasn't any money in the pot. One wonders if he has thought through the financial side this time either.