A UK mother has lashed out at her children's school after her kids were forced to eat bread due to a small debt.
Katrina Dakin fell £17.60 (NZ$34.64) behind on payment for two of her six children and only found out after waking up from a night shift to a text message from the school, The Telegraph reports.
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By the time she got the text her two children had already been subjected to a bread-only lunch, while their classmates got the full menu.
"It's disgusting making them sit in front of their friends and eat bread and butter," Dakin told the Telegraph.
"If I sent my children to school with bread and butter I'd have social services knocking at my door. It's child neglect."
A spokesperson for the school said it had a policy that once a family's debt was more than £10 the children would not be provided with lunch.
"However, we cannot afford to let a child have a free dinner if they are not entitled to one and nor is this fair to our other parents.
"On these occasions (which are rare) governors decided that children would be given bread and butter/jam and a drink instead. This was deemed to be the kindest option, whilst still being fair to all parents."
The school said parents were always notified via text the same day they went into debt. Parents whose children were due a bread lunch would be given a phone call.
Newshub.
