Teacher knows best!!

One of the recurring topics which crop up in these pages is that of schools seeking to over-ride parental wishes.  The legality of this is dubious - particularly when it concerns matters which are not strictly to do with teaching and lessons.  A primary school in Colchester has taken it upon itself to inspect children's lunch boxes and confiscate any food it considers "unhealthy".  Scotch eggs and peperami snacks have fallen foul of this approach - and this despite the fact that the school's own dinner menus include sausages, chips and cookies.  Of course, they can't hang on to or destroy the food they confiscate - it has to be sent back to the parents at the end of the day with a note explaining what has happened.  And here of course is the absurdity of the whole situation - the scotch egg or whatever that the child was not allowed to have for their lunch they will almost certainly have at home for their tea!