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Ethical Considerations in Providing Premade, Frozen Food to Students at a High Cost
Schools are training institutions designed to foster education, growth, and well-being among
students, not a place for people to make money (Mulvey 360). However, the provision of
premade, frozen food at a high cost raises ethical concerns, which include the following:
Students are not customers, impacts on metabolic rate, Establishing Unhealthy Eating Habits,
nutritional needs for students, influence on academic performance, Environmental impacts,
and ethical Responsibility of Educational Institutions. This paper will illustrate the reasons
behind the ethical implications of such a practice, which will deeply examine the nature of
schools as non-commercial entities and the nutritional needs of students.
According to Milton's article"Supporting Children's Social Connection and Well-being in School-
age Care"(163), students are not customers since schools are not marketplaces for carrying out
trades and people making money. School environments that are dedicated to nurturing young
minds. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a school as "an institution for educating children."
It emphasizes this definition so all individuals understand that students are not customers.
Additionally, unlike the traditions of commercial transactions, the purpose of a
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school is not to generate profit but to facilitate learning and holistic development. Therefore,
schools should consider it an organization for educating and training students.
However, it also has effects on the metabolic rate of the students. Students, especially
during their teenage stage, usually have faster body metabolic rates than adults. This indicates
that they require a higher intake of nutrients to support their growth and daily activities (Kirk,
1169). Therefore, premade frozen meals are usually designed for convenience rather than
nutritional density, which may not adequately meet the increased metabolic demands of the
student body.
Thirdly, there are the nutritional needs of students in their bodies. Even if one argues that
charging a higher price for meals is acceptable, using premade, frozen food raises ethical
concerns related to students' nutritional needs (Driver, 28). Adolescents, a significant portion of
school populations, can undergo rapid physical and mental development, resulting in a higher
demand for high-quantity nutrient intake. Therefore, premade frozen meals often need to
provide essential nutrients, particularly proteins crucial for growth and sustained energy.
Fourthly is the positive or negative influence on the students' academic performance.
Numerous studies emphasize the direct connection between nutrition and academic
performance. Inadequate access to nutrient-rich meals can hinder cognitive function,
concentration, and memory retention, negatively impacting students' overall academic success.
Providing subpar, frozen meals contradicts the fundamental purpose of schools as institutions
dedicated to fostering intellectual growth.
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Furthermore, it will establish unhealthy eating habits for the students. Introducing premade,
frozen food in schools can also contribute to developing unhealthy eating habits among
students. Exposing young individuals to convenient yet nutritionally deficient options can shape
their dietary preferences in the long term, potentially leading to health issues such as obesity
and other related conditions.
In addition to this, it can result in an import to the environment. For instance, the production
and packaging of premade frozen meals contribute significantly to environmental degradation.
The excessive use of plastic, energy-intensive manufacturing processes, and transportation
emissions associated with frozen food can conflict with the sustainable values that schools
should instill in students.
Additionally, it may lead to socioeconomic disparities. For instance, charging a high cost for
premade frozen meals may exacerbate socioeconomic disparities among students. Families
with lower incomes may need help to afford these expensive meal options, leading to
disparities in access to proper nutrition among the student body (Oodes, 9).
Lastly, all educational institutions must consider ethical responsibilities when dealing with
premade frozen meals. All Educational institutions should bear an ethical responsibility not only
to educate but also to prioritize the overall well-being of their students (Little, 27). Providing
substandard, frozen meals at a high cost undermines this responsibility, potentially
compromising students' health and impeding their ability to thrive academically.
In conclusion, the ethical concerns surrounding providing premade, frozen food at a high
cost in schools are compliments. From this point, the nature of schools should remain as
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non-commercial entities to the potential health and academic consequences for
students; thorough research and examination of this practice must be conducted to
investigate its effect. Therefore, educational institutions must prioritize the holistic
development of their students, both intellectually and physically, by reconsidering the
ethical implications of their meal provision strategies.
Biography
1. Oxford English Dictionary. "School." Oxford University Press, 2022, 67-17.
2. Taras, Howard. "Nutrition and student performance at school." Journal of School Health
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based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta‐analysis of follow‐up effects."
Child Development 88.4 (2017): 1156-1171.
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function, financial socialization, and experience‐based learning in childhood and youth."
Journal of Consumer Affairs 49.1 (2015): 13-38.
5. Milton, Alyssa Clare, et al. "Supporting children's social connection and well-being in
school- age care: mixed methods evaluation of the connect, promote, and protect program."
JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting 6.1 (2023) 153- 171: e44928.
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6. Oades, Lindsay G., et al. "Towards a positive university." Positive psychology in
higher education. Routledge, 2014. 5-12.
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foster care: Evaluation of a summer camp program for foster youth transitioning from high
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9. Little, Judith Warren. "Professional community and professional development in the
learning- centered school." Teacher learning that matters: International perspectives (2012):
22-46.
9. Mulvey, Edward P., and Elizabeth Cauffman. "The inherent limits of predicting
school violence." Clinical Forensic Psychology and Law. Routledge, 2019. 395-400.
