Some St. Paul schools have banned candy and sweets, and the school district is planning to extend that policy to all of its schools by the end of the school year. Parents have been told that children may not bring "sweet, sticky, fat-laden [and] salty treats" to school.
40% of fourth graders in St. Paul schools are obese, 11 percent higher than the (already dismal) national average.
Students interviewed in a Star Tribune article are unhappy with the change, and critics suggest that children will just go home to candy and fast food. St. Paul schools say that they are trying to set up the best environment for kids, and are trying to model good behavior.
Comments
Very Slippery Slope….what constitutes a sweet? Who is in charge of policing these sweets and what are the consequences of having said sweets? Sounds like a lot of extra stress on faculty and the kids. Incorporate health into the curriculum…research and write reports in English on healthy/unhealthy eating. Use Math class to find out how much physical energy it takes to burn off that sweet treat. Use Science class to see how long a Twinkie takes to break down. You get the picture. Thanks for reading.
I agree with the above statement.