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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Institutional Idiocy: School bans birthday cake
2008-04-05
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Children in a New Zealand school have been banned from bringing cakes to share on their birthdays, due to new government healthy eating guidelines.
It's OK to bring a bomb-belt though.
Pupils at Oteha Valley primary school north of Auckland have been told they are allowed to celebrate their birthdays, but the cake must stay at home, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
Thank goodness! How can one have peace in the world if a birthday cake was involved?
The Ministry of Education has been on a fat-busting crusade, introducing sweeping guidelines against tasty unhealthy food in New Zealand schools.
What if it was a low-fat cake? Or hash brownies??
The Ministry of Education apparantly also is on a crusade against having fun ...
Oteha Valley has a large number of pupils born in September and October, and there can be up to four cakes a week in some classes, principal Megan Bowden told the Herald.
Oh dear! CAKE- why does it hate us?
It had gotten to the point where parents thought they were required to provide a cake for their child's birthday.
I doubt that this was enacted into law.
The school has advised parents in a newsletter to stop sending cakes to school from the next term.
Leaving the cake at home so the little monsters can eat ALL of it without sharing.
A Ministry of Education spokesman told the Herald the government guidelines only applied to food sold on the premises, and schools did not need to monitor food brought in from outside.
Posted by:Free Radical

#13  Gabby Cussworth, how about a bridge, do you need one? ;-)
Posted by: twobyfour   2008-04-05 23:08  

#12  Crepe.

buy

PIMF
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth   2008-04-05 19:45  

#11  I'd by a car from you.
Posted by: Gabby Cussworth   2008-04-05 19:45  

#10  sorry Phil - "I'm no health nazi" and "My daughter never had lollies (candies) or soft drinks when she was young and didn't know what they were until other parents started giving them to her at her kindergarten" sounds a bit contradictory. If you choose to do that with your child? I have absolutely no problem with - it's the enforcement upon the other children because your child might be embarrassed by what you enforce at home.
Suggestion?
Explain to your child why you enforced that upbringing/rule along with the logical/reasonable explanation? Your informed and morally strong child would repulse all attempts to seduce her with sweets and candies!

Or: it's all bullshit and these are kids. Let em live a kids' life before you nanny-staters enforce your grim straitjackets upon them? My opinion, your mileage may vary
Posted by: Frank G   2008-04-05 19:35  

#9  I'm going to side with the school. The reason being kids giving cakes, sweets etc to other kids undermines parents efforts to give their kids reasonably healthy eating habits.

My daughter never had lollies (candies) or soft drinks when she was young and didn't know what they were until other parents started giving them to her at her kindergarten. Of course then she started demanding them when we went to grocery store. Whereas up until then the racks of candies, might as well have been toilet cleaners for all they meant to her.

I'm no health nazi, but I must admit it bothers me how often I see parents bribing their kids with sweets and junk to 'behave', Ie rewarding bad behaviour.

I differ from most, in that I think obesity, ADHD issues and similar are primarily behavioural issues, although with a significant and synergistic metabolic effect.
Posted by: phil_b   2008-04-05 19:20  

#8  Here in the South (at least, as far as 4 years ago), we'd not only allow cake at school, but the kids would eat it in front of other kids who couldn't have it.

For example, the Mormons don't believe in celebrating a birthday, so the poor 5 year-old would sit in the back while all the other kids would eat cake.
Posted by: BA   2008-04-05 18:00  

#7  For years, textbook publishers who wanted to sell books in California couldn't print stories about kids having cake or other sweets because some state representative got a bill through against such pernicious material.
Posted by: mom   2008-04-05 17:18  

#6  They should really consider changing the city's name to Cromwell.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-04-05 16:39  

#5  now, Abu...that's not true and you know it.....it's a good urban legend though, but how many meth lab parents prepare goodies for their kids? Or even lunch?
Posted by: Frank G   2008-04-05 16:16  

#4  sinse, with a nick like yours I'd figure you for a hash brownie type rather than meth cake.
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-04-05 16:10  

#3  nothing ,like a good ole meth cake
Posted by: sinse   2008-04-05 16:00  

#2  Schools in San Diego don't allow cakes, cupcakes or cookies on occasions like this because they're afraid the parents might have baked them in the same kitchen they use to cook meth.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2008-04-05 15:51  

#1  Notice how "guidelines" and "advice" quickly become edicts, mandates and dictates?

Fits right in with all the health-Nazis.
Posted by: AlanC   2008-04-05 15:47  

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