The Academic Feeding Frenzy

The act of educating a populace is one of the key elements necessary to sustain a society. By attending the local schools, community colleges and universities, children and young adults embark down the pathway of life towards the goal of productive citizenship. A quality education is comprised of basics such as reading, math, history and science. Included among these fundamental cornerstones, one must not exclude the healthy lunch. The nourishment of a child’s body is just as important as the edifying of the young mind.

The question becomes who is responsible for what food a child consumes, and what is the appropriate meal for the child. For decades, lunchtime at school was anticipated by students not only to relieve the hunger pangs of the moment, but also as the midday social period, interrupting the rigors of scholarship. Certainly the primary obligation lies with the parents and barring any medical prohibitions, the primary caregiver is knowledgeable of his/her child’s tastes, likes and dislikes and will provide nutritional foods compatible with those preferences. At a suitable age and grade level the student becomes the decision maker at school mealtime.

At the behest of the current First Lady of the United States, the judgment of parents and students alike concerning what to eat at school have been usurped. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, an initiative spearheaded by Michelle Obama and implemented at the cabinet level, now determines what the appropriate daily nutritional requirements are for school children across the country. Under this law school districts have mandates outlining what they shall offer in the way of food and beverages to students attending public schools. Districts must comply with these directives in total, and have little to no discretion in making changes to menu items. The title of the act is, as most legislation from Washington D.C. is, misleading in that the effect of its implementation have resulted in displeasure of the carte du jour by students, and increased the volume of rumbling tummies nationwide.

During his bid for president in 2008, candidate John Edwards referenced the disparity of lifestyles in the country as a nation of “two Americas.” Well it seems that inequality has found its way into the cafeterias of American schools. Through the dictates of the current administration, attendees of public institutions of learning have a government mandated pre-determined bill of fare, and private institutions such as Sidwell Friends Academy, may offer menu selections rivaled by some four star restaurants. Perhaps there are not two Americas, but there are two canteens indeed.

After this administration has departed Washington, the decision as to what your child must eat in school will be made by the ominous and ever present government bureaucracy. Your ability to physically nourish and academically enlighten your children is being commandeered by politicians with the goal of control disguised as compassion. Mr. and Mrs. Bureaucrat, thank you, but no thanks. You may eat your own cake.