Should High Schoolers Be Allowed to Eat in Class?

By Taylor Rice

It’s one of the longest standing school controversies: should students be allowed to eat in class? There are more than enough pros to overpower the cons when it comes to students eating in class, at least for high schoolers. 

For starters, some students might not have enough time to eat in the morning at home. Something may have happened–a flat tire, an irritated sibling, family issues–to make them run late, leading to them having to bring their breakfast to school. By allowing the student to eat in class, they won’t miss valuable learning time by eating out in the hallway or go hungry by skipping eating at all. 

It’s the same circumstance when it comes to lunch. The lunch lines at BHS are long–so long that students are sprinting to the lines before the bell even rings just so they can get the chance to relax with their food. Then, there are students who skip getting school lunch entirely because they don’t get enough time to finish their food. But if the students were allowed to finish their food in class, they would be more incentivized to eat, promoting healthier habits. 

The school day is also long, and students are bound to get hungry. Allowing students to sustain themselves by bringing a snack to class would save them hunger pains, stomach aches, and the embarrassment of loud stomach rumbles. Letting students snack in class can rejuvenate them, making them more attentive towards lessons since they’re not focused on how hungry they are. 

This is not to say that there shouldn’t be rules about eating in class. Students should be encouraged to bring quieter foods, and to not constantly play with crinkly packages. As high schoolers, students are to be held to the same standards as adults and college students. One of the main counter arguments of teachers is that eating in class makes a mess. However, that’s not a valid excuse, especially when most teachers do the exact same things on their lunch breaks. If students make a mess, they must immediately clean it up. It doesn’t need to be a big deal or become a scene; if they spill something, high schoolers are mature enough to deal with it. 

Students should also not be able to eat during a test, for the purpose of noise disruption in the completely silent environment and possible cheating strategies. They should also be discouraged from bringing nut-based products due to the potential allergic reaction from other students. Further rules could be imposed as needed based on the danger areas in their classroom.

With imposed rules, there should be no problem with students eating in class. High schoolers are responsible enough, and it’s been proven that if students really want to do something, they will find a way to get it done. Put some faith in high school students. Let them eat in class.