A blogger has offered to pay any outstanding debts at a school where parents were told by the headmaster pupils won't be fed unless their accounts are up to date.
Award-winning dad blogger Simon Harris tweeted Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Penygroes, Gwynedd, asking to pay the £1,800 that is owed. He made the offer after the school's strategic headmaster Neil Foden controversially told parents in a letter that the school cook had been instructed not to give food to any child "if their debt has not been cleared" — you can read more on that here.
The letter was posted on social media and led to Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford criticising the stance. He tweeted yesterday: "Has the pandemic not taught us anything? Can we not be understanding? Come on now…"
Mr Foden has since defended his stance, saying: "We don't want to tar everyone with the same brush, but realistically, those parents who can pay but won't pay, something has to be done." You can read more on his updated comments here.
A deadline of November 19 has been set for parents to get their children's accounts up to date but Man Behaving Dadly blogger Simon Harris has stepped up to pay the cash, North Wales Live reports.
The dad of four from Essex, who has tens of thousands of Facebook and Twitter followers said: "I’ve just made this genuine offer to the management of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle on Twitter. I will absolutely cover their catering deficit if it stops this madness of kids potentially going hungry."
Speaking to North Wales Live, he added: "We could all sit here and argue about ‘parents who can afford it but won’t pay’ and ‘parents spending the cash on whatever else instead’ until the cows come home. All I’m interested in is putting this rubbish to bed and getting the kids fed. One problem at a time."
Mr Foden said yesterday just a "handful of pupils" had run up debts totalling close to £2,000.
North Wales Live has asked Gwynedd Council if the school would accept Mr Harris' offer to clear the debt.
The council previously said: “As a council, we do not operate a blanket policy of refusing meals to pupils, and will discuss this matter directly with the school.”
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