Sadly, we do not take the Scottish Daily Mirror on a regular basis - nor in fact at all. So we missed its recent searing front-page expose: “Tots, 3, in Big Mac classes.” This turned out to be about a nursery school in North Lanarkshire setting up a “mini-McDonald’s” in a classroom, and the story appeared the day after the Scottish Executive had unveiled its guidelines on nutritional food for the under-fives.
Even more of a juicy morsel, ignored by the Mirror, was the fact that North Lanarkshire schools are ruled by Michael O’Neill. Could this be the same Michael O’Neill who chaired the national task group which produced the “Hungry for Success” initiative on healthy eating in schools?
It is indeed he. Alas for the newshounds, the nursery in Airdrie was a private concern, not council-run. It is, however, in “partnership” with the council. So what do we make of that, then?
