We all know France to be super terrific. The French tell us so.

But there are lapses.

Sometimes inexplicable and tragic. Sometimes petty.

CHILDREN FED BREAD AND WATER AT SCHOOL

April 4, 2007 (Expatica) - Nine nursery school pupils aged 3 to 6 were fed bread and water after their parents forgot to pay for their monthly lunch fee in the village of Maincy, Seine-et-Marne. The town hall, which oversees lunches for all public schools, says this was the result of "late payments" since monthly lunches are due to be paid at the beginning of the month.

Parents such as Magalie Diez, who is a member of a parents' association, wonder if the second of April [Sunday being the first] constitutes late payment and if another solution could have been found with a bit of good will. Several parents also complained that the children who did not get a proper lunch were taken aside and told that they should reprimand their parents for their forgetfulness.

Yes. Well, on the bright side, the town hall saw its way clear to feed the pupils bread and water while at great risk of being shorted nine lunch payments. Oh, and the alert teachers have instilled the civic virtue of family discord. You can not do that early enough.

PFFT (What is this?): Shamelessly petty 4 | Rayonnement français 0