Printer-friendly format When schools feed kids

The school lunch was originally designed to supply a wholesome meal for youngsters whose families were unable to provide adequate nourishment. Not only are the vast majority of today's school lunches no longer wholesome, but they are too expensive.

But the types of "food" given out in most classrooms today are candies, cookies or soft drinks loaded with synthetic additives -- the very things that make it hard for the child to focus and behave.

Does a teacher have the right to give these things to a child without the parent's knowledge or consent? Should schools first obtain written permission before they feed a child things his parents may not want him to have?

Does a school have the right to pressure parents into using psychotropic drugs for children who are simply reacting to the additives in the foods served in the school?