Perth parents say WA schools are increasingly policing students' lunchboxes, confiscating sugary items and replacing them with healthier alternatives.
A number of parents took to social media to discuss how some teachers appeared to be confiscating certain foods from their students because it didn't fit the school's health guidelines.
"Getting really sick of my daughters food being sent home from school!" one parent posted.
"Since when is popcorn not allowed as a snack? It's not nuts and I personally don't consider it junk! I have no idea what to put in her bloody lunch box beside a sandwich."
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Parents also posted examples of the kind of rules they had been provided, and said they had experienced cases where teachers had taken certain food off their children for failing to meet the school's prescribed health guidelines.
One Perth parent said it was inappropriate teachers were able to intervene with their student's diets.
"I informed the school that when they buy, make and pack my kids lunch boxes, then and only then can they dictate to me, their parent, what my child can and [can't] eat," she said.
"But even though they gave us the healthy eating guide to 'follow' it was never enforced."
But the debate isn't black and white, and one Perth teacher told WAtoday it was necessary to police student's lunchboxes in early primary school, as high sugar foods could have a real impact on their learning capacity inside the classroom.
"In certain instances, you don't want to be looking after one child who is on a sugar high from their lunchbox," the teacher said.
"We do confiscate certain types of food, yes, but we will always replace it with a healthier alternative.
"We won't let a child starve, so parents shouldn't be too concerned in my opinion."
Another teacher said while she didn't agree with lunchbox policing entirely, she understood why some schools chose to do it.
"Go sit at a school in a lower socio-economic area - kids with one roll-up for recess, or two dry cruskits, one chocolate chip cookie, or one jam sandwich- this was to cover recess and lunch, everyday," she said.
"Kids can't function if they are not eating properly. While I definitely don't think it's the teachers place to dictate what kids eat, something needs to happen."
In WA, many primary schools operate off the traffic light policy.
This means deep fried food of any description, sweet sandwich fillings, high fat sandwich meats, confectionery, soft drinks, cordial, fruit juice, sport drinks, croissants, doughnuts, iced buns, slices and flavoured water are all considered 'off the menu'.
A school may choose to subscribe to the policy, and must inform parents of their guidelines. The Department of Education is unable to monitor those that adhere to the policy, as a school must independently choose to promote it within its community.
However WA parents continue to be concerned by the subjective way some teachers interpret the policy, and believe there needs to more uniform guidelines to avoid confusion.
Just last week, one parent complained her daughter had not been allowed her pack of sultanas at lunch time as the teacher considered it a 'high sugar' food.
Heart Foundation WA manager Emma Groves said it was becoming increasingly necessary for teachers to take an active interest in what their students ate, as some parents were not aware what was and wasn't an appropriate snack.
"Some of the largest contributors to the discretionary food in school aged children were – cakes, muffins, scones, confectionary and cereal, nut, fruit, seed bars and sugary drinks. Things that you might find in lunch boxes," she said.
"[It is important to] appreciate that teachers are busy, and ultimately are not in control of what comes to school packed in lunch boxes so policing is a difficult topic.
"But providing a healthy environment at school which demonstrates healthy eating as normal and habitual is a great step."
WA School Canteen Association executive officer Megan Neeson said it was difficult to find a uniform strategy for all schools to follow, and there continued to be differing ways in which the traffic light policy was implemented in WA.
"Lunch boxes and what parents choose to send from home are not included in the scope of the [Department of Education's] Healthy Food and Drink policy. It is a school based decision if they choose to look at lunchboxes and provide feedback to parents," Ms Neeson said.
"Some schools have implemented healthy lunchbox programs and waste wise lunchbox programs."
If you're now worrying about working within the traffic light policy guidelines, Ms Groves recommended the following:
- Swap fruit box for plain water
- Swap muesli bar for piece of fruit or plain vegetable sticks (i.e. carrots, celery)
- Swap packet of crisps for plain corn thins or wholegrain crispbreads
- Swap ham and processed meat in sandwiches for plain cheese
- Swap flavoured sweetened yoghurts for plain yoghurt with fresh fruit.
"It often appears that unhealthy food is more expensive, especially per item that are convenient and in individual wrappers. However, a high proportion of our food budget I spent on these non-core, discretionary foods. Finding some budget friendly swaps can be a win for our health and budgets," Ms Groves said.
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