Regarding your article on school dinners (School dinners in England dominated by grab-and-go foods such as pizza and sausage rolls, 27 March), the declining standard of school meals has a lot to do with the way that secondary schools organise lunchtimes. There has been a tendency to shorten lunchtimes, often to deal with behavioural issues, but also to reduce the cost of supervision. This can be shortsighted as the rush for lunch becomes more intense, adding to tensions rather than reducing them.
The system encourages the grab-and-go mentality. Perhaps in addition to minimum nutrition standards, government guidance on the organisation of lunchtimes would make delivery of good school lunches a reality.
John Sommer
Bristol
• It is children in state schools who are left with ultraprocessed, grab-and-go food at lunchtime. In an already tiered education system, this adds a further disadvantage. While private schools provide fresh meals and time to eat them, state pupils are often left with snacks rather than meals, long queues and limited space to sit and eat. This affects children’s health and their ability to concentrate and learn. This disparity should concern us all.
Dr Ginevra Read
Consultant psychiatrist, Bristol
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