Parents in South Tyneside have been left feeling frustrated over the new regulations surrounding school Christmas dinners.
Typically primary school pupils are offered a speciality Christmas meal in the run up to kids breaking up from school for the winter school holidays.
The hot Christmas meal provided by school canteens usually includes meat, veg, gravy and all the trimmings of a traditional Sunday roast dinner.
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There's also usually a festive desert of Christmas cake or a crumble with custard on offer too.
It's often a festive treat for the children which many look forward to throughout the festive period, but this year parents have been told that children in some schools in the borough can expect a "Christmas-themed hot box" instead.
South Tyneside Council confirmed that whilst the "vast majority of South Tyneside schools are having a traditional Christmas school dinner this year due to restrictions in some schools, one or two have opted to have a hot boxed Christmas-themed lunch so that all the children can enjoy lunch on the same day."
The new Santa designed Christmas box contains a choice of hot turkey bun, burger or vegetarian alternative with roasties or chips, vegetable sticks and fruit with a choice of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice-cream or a decorated cookie or cake.
The Council said that the meals were pre-booked with suppliers well in advance of the Christmas period to avoid disappointment over potential transportation issues, which means "there has been no impact at all on what our children have been offered for lunch."
But parents have been left unimpressed at the idea of hot box lunches - and felt that schools were not being treated, and felt it wasn't fair that some schools are going ahead with full Sunday dinners while other schools are being alternatives.
Kathy Wallace said: "It's not fair at all if some schools get Christmas dinner they all should", whilst Lisa Bell said it was "crazy that schools are all doing things different."
Mum Lynne Rivers said she felt British Christmas traditions were being "ignored in most schools" adding "MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone."
Claire Reed said that the current school rules "make no sense."
"Honestly don't understand Why they cant do a Christmas dinner, when they are cooking school meals daily anyway," she said. "Makes no sense.."
Debbie Clayton said that her children's school was going ahead with a Christmas but called for all schools to be following one Covid-19 protocol.
"Ours is doing Xmas dinners thankfully but totally agree if one [school] can they all should same with all the nativity plays and parents evenings etc," she said. "One school can, another can't, need to make there minds up. They say down to Covid for everything. All schools should have same Covid protocol."
Dad Wayne Gilliss said that schools not being able to participate in traditional Christmas dinners this year "daftness", but said he agreed that schools should still offer alternative meals on that day too, such as a vegetarian option.
