Elementary school does not have to provide vegan school meals

Berlin Administrative Court: School may decide on food itself
(Jur). Schools do not have to offer vegan school meals for the kids. They are not legally obliged to consider "the entire variety of different dietary beliefs" of parents and children, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled in a decision announced Wednesday, 18 May 2016 (Ref .: VG 3 K 503.15). These included, in particular, stone-age nutrition, low carb, low fat, raw food, food combining, fruitarismuns and veganism.

In this particular case, the father of a daughter born in 2007 did not want to accept that his child does not receive a vegan lunch at a full-time school in Berlin-Köpenick. His daughter is vegan for ethical reasons, so purely herbal.

No right to vegan school lunches. Picture: luna-fotolia

The district office refused in principle, that is provided for the student extra vegan lunch, at least as long as the father does not present a medical certificate on the need for nutrition.

The father considered the negative decision to be a violation of freedom of conscience and the principle of equal treatment. Finally, other religious, or health-based eating habits are taken into account. In order to enforce his request in court, he applied for legal aid at the administrative court.

However, the Administrative Court rejected the application in its order of 9 May 2016. The school has a lot of room for maneuver as it fulfills its obligation to provide lunch. The school lunch for the students is based on the quality standards of the German Nutrition Society. This recommends a vegan diet for children but not.

According to the Berlin Education Act, there is no obligation to take into account the diversity of different dietary beliefs in school meals, especially as the daily preparation of a few vegan meals in large kitchens encounters "considerable difficulties".

The daughter is also not forced to take the non-vegan school lunch. She could bring her own food and warm up at school and still attend school lunches. Therefore she will not be marginalized. (Fle / mwo)