Audio By Carbonatix
A two-year -old girl has been suspended from a day care centre over cheese sandwich.
According to The Huffington Post, Randy Murray gave his two-year-old a cheese sandwich to eat before leaving for her daycare. He didn't realize she decided to keep it and tucked it away somewhere for later snacking.
Administrators at Centre de l'Enfant Aux 4 vents in Ottawa brought the hammer down on the little girl for violating a "no outside food" policy. Bring food to school, and you're out for three days. If the food has peanuts, students can be expelled.
Regardless of the policy, Murray is upset he didn't just get a warning.
"They freaked out." He told the Ottawa Sun. "If I got a warning, I'd admit my mistake and move on. But it seems they want to penalize the parents. There's no logic to it. I'm going to the media because I think people have to speak up when something's fishy."
Nothing's fishy, Mr. Murray. While suspension may seem extreme, the daycare has the policy in place likely because several children have severe food allergies. Know what can happen as a result? Death. Death isn't fishy or illogical. It's pretty clear cut.
The daycare director confirms the policy is in place for a reason. "We do have children with multiple allergies, and the parents are more than happy that we have all these things in place to protect the children."
I'll admit, I didn't really understand the gravity of food allergies and how intense having a child who is allergic to things can be for parents until I met a really great couple with a daughter who is allergic to a lot of foods, including peanuts. Seeing what her parents go through to keep her safe and imagining the stress they must feel when they can't be there to watch what she eats must be overwhelming. Think about it: every day they have to send their daughter off into the world knowing that simply coming into contact with a commonplace food item could seriously hurt her. I would be a wreck.
That's why when the day I packed peanut butter crackers in my daughter's preschool snack box earned me a strict talking to, I didn't mind for one second. It's easy to see how one careless move on my part could have resulted in tragedy for another family. Thank god for allergy awareness and vigilant teachers. While I understand the cheese sandwich was an oversight and that suspension is harsh, Murray should understand that it's because food allergies are serious business. He apparently doesn't see it that way and says he's looking for new childcare options for his children.
What do you think? Is the school being too harsh over what was an accident or is the suspension a great wake up call for someone who clearly isn't taking food allergies seriously?
Latest Stories
-
From Trash to Power: How Ghana can fuel its waste, save lives and forest
1 minute -
Starmer tells Abramovich to ‘pay up now’ or face court
8 minutes -
Increased Investment in Youth Skills Key to Economic Growth – TWOW
14 minutes -
Six Canadian MPs denied entry by Israel to occupied West Bank
17 minutes -
Lawyer seeks update on EOCO probe into galamsey allegations linked to NDC’s Yamin and Abanga
19 minutes -
Ofori Amponsah still has the energy
22 minutes -
Ato Forson sets record in paying contractors – Roads Minister Agbodza
22 minutes -
Ghana’s Ahtoo Montessori school wins bronze at ENJOY AI global finals in China
32 minutes -
Lands ministry engages Ewoyaa chiefs, residents in successful lithium agreement talks
45 minutes -
Controller pays delayed education sector allowances alongside December salaries
45 minutes -
UK and Ghana co-host African Development Fund 17 Pledge Conference in London
52 minutes -
Sir Sam Jonah seeks intervention from Ghana’s Foreign minister over alleged seizure of investments in Nigeria
1 hour -
Ghana Supreme Court pause on Kpandai parliamentary rerun forces a high-stakes constitutional reckoning
1 hour -
Minority berates gov’t over deployment of troops to Jamaica, calls it a misplaced priority
1 hour -
Ghanaian business firm Jonah Capital petitions ICPC and Nigeria’s Parliament over alleged takeover of Abuja real estate assets
1 hour
