Parent’s complaint: “My daughter was barred from the canteen over 12 euros”

Twelve euros and eighty cents. This is the amount which, according to the family’s complaint, prevented a 9-year-old girl from using the school canteen, forcing her to leave school early and miss out on lunch with her classmates.

The City Council of Taranto offers a different account of the incident: according to the Councillor for Education, Maria Lucia Simeone, the family had already been informed of the outstanding payments back in April, and the girl was reportedly taken away before the lunch break, without being denied her meal in front of the other pupils.

The matter reached the Town Hall following a formal notice from lawyer Fabrizio Del Vecchio, who is representing the father and is demanding that the service be reinstated, whilst reserving the right to take the matter to court to seek compensation for damages. Once again today, the little girl was unable to use the school canteen: her parents were told that she could only be reinstated on the list of eligible pupils once her situation had been regularised.

It all began on 3 November, at the start of the school lunch period, when the father received a phone call from the school asking him to collect his daughter at 1.00 pm instead of 4.15 pm. The reason given was an outstanding payment from the previous year. “Seeing a little girl being sent away from school and separated from her classmates in that way is devastating. We were shocked. Here, she is being denied not only a meal, but also the right to an education,” says the parent. The councillor points out that the school liaison officer had notified the family, allowing them to collect the child before lunch. The local authority, she adds, had notified them of the outstanding debt on 15 April, whilst the debt was visible on the platform used to book meals.
“The child had been using the school canteen service free of charge for several months,” states the councillor, putting the outstanding amount at 38 euros – which exceeds the 30-euro threshold set by the regulations.

The father, however, disputes both the account of events and the amount. After seeking clarification from the school and the local council, he claims to have received conflicting responses: “The school told me it wasn’t within their remit, whilst the local council stated that his name hadn’t been included on the list and that there was an outstanding balance”. Regarding the amount, he adds: “First they quoted me 38.40 euros, then they sent me a screenshot showing a negative balance of 12.80 euros, with no header”. For the parent, the issue is not just about the outstanding bill, but the way it has been handled: “When I enrolled her, I wasn’t told it was refused. You can’t tell me that, if I don’t pay 12 euros, my daughter won’t be allowed into the canteen. Are you having a laugh? This behaviour is appalling.” Meanwhile, the father is primarily concerned with how to protect his daughter from the consequences of what is happening. “I,” he vents, “have to look out for my little girl. I told her: ‘Today we have to go to Grandma’s; she’s made baked pasta.’ This is what we’ve come to – it’s an absurd situation.”