New Delhi: Days after a circular issued by Delhi Public School (DPS), Gautam Buddh Nagar, sparked controversy by requesting students not to bring non-vegetarian food items to school, a few parents have said that they will meet with the school administration to discuss the matter.
“The school cannot control the food habits of students. Today, they are asking students not to bring non-veg food to school; tomorrow, they may demand something else. We will meet with the school administration and ask them to withdraw this,” a concerned parent, whose daughter studies in Class 10, told ThePrint.
The circular, however, was not issued out of the blue. During a parent-teacher meeting held a fortnight ago, a few parents had raised concerns about students bringing non-veg food to school, which may have led to the decision.
“I am one of the several parents who raised this concern because our children can’t differentiate between veg and non-veg when they eat together,” said a parent who wished to remain anonymous.
The circular issued by DPS Gautam Buddh Nagar asking students not to bring non-veg food items surfaced on social media Wednesday.
“We are writing to respectfully request that students not bring non-vegetarian food items to school,” it read.
The school said it made the request based on two considerations: health and safety, and inclusivity and respect.
“Non-vegetarian food, when cooked in the morning for lunchtime consumption, can pose serious health risks if not stored and handled properly, and we prioritise our students’ well-being,” the circular stated.
Supriti Chauhan, principal of DPS Gautam Buddh Nagar, told ThePrint in an email response that the circular remains a “respectful request” and not a “directive or ban”.
“The circular was sent in response to a few incidents where students felt uncomfortable after consuming egg sandwiches and chicken-based items brought from their homes,” she said.
Parents divided over circular
The circular further emphasised that maintaining a vegetarian food environment would ensure that “all students feel respected and comfortable, regardless of their dietary preferences and restrictions, while eating meals together”.
Parents ThePrint spoke to said they received a message in the school’s WhatsApp group asking them not to pack non-veg food in their child’s tiffins.
The circular and message have since led to a divide among parents.
One parent expressed concern over the added pressure of surveillance on their children.
“I was shocked after seeing the message. Then I started receiving calls from other parents. We were all discussing whether they were going to check our children’s lunch boxes. How are they planning to implement this order?” asked the parent, whose son studies in Class 8.
Another parent, who was part of the group that demanded non-veg food be prohibited, said they are concerned about the dietary environment in school as non-veg “smells bad”.
“Non-veg food is mostly cooked the night before. No parent cooks it early in the morning. It smells bad, is stale and makes other students uncomfortable. We are happy that the school has taken note of our demand and asked students to not bring such food items,” said the parent.
However, principal Chauhan maintains the intention of the circular was in the best “interest of students” as certain foods are more perishable.
“None of our parents’ community has had any issue with the circular issued as they knew the intent,” Chauhan maintained.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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