I think that is probably unfair - as most of us, I only know what is contained in this thread & I certainly didn't interpret it that way - I suspect OP is aware her daughter may be picky but as a result of this is being bullied and or mistreated, and she (OP) hasn't made light of this, just struggled with how best to complain & take action so her daughter doesn't bear the brunt even more - but that was just my take on it

PM is probably well aware that if she does not deal with this matter in a certain way, it will be her child that will be sent to a psychiatrist and not the dinner ladies or teachers.

I know first hand how difficult it can be in a state school in a different country and I have friends who have children at school in Spain now who have suffered the same (and more) problems.

These mothers are dealing with people who have a completely different cultural approach/attitude to food and their kids are served up stuff that is completely alien to that of most northern european countries. The problems for them are the same in France as here in Spain.

I dont think that knocking the OP is constructive in this case.

Yep. I had an aunt who always gave very sage advice on the subject of " making a rod for your own back". About meal times, sleeping and general behavour. I didn't always like it. But I followed it esp with the first two,(except for a little previously mentioned hiccup over my daughter's eating habits where a dad, trying to be kind got in the way.) I was quite a strict parent. Now they have gone their 3 different ways and aren't at all strictured, or wound up. Infact they get on better with their peers and adults when they don't have demanding behaviour.
This doesn't help with the OPs problem of abusive teachers. But I have to say I wouldn't find it easy to control my irritation with picky kids, or their parents.
Maybe that's why I didn't choose to be a teacher!
I do sympathise with OP though. Parenting is such a hard road. Glad my parenting days are over!

Well, as long as kids are eating well who gives a toss if they get slapped about hey? Make of that what you will.

Fool.
No one here knows the truth about the "alleged" abuse.
If this is true then I would be more concerned about this than eating problems.
I'm sorry if people think I am being hard on the OP but my concern is for the child especially with what are VERY serious allegations against the staff.
This has been going on for some time and worse, still is and people are talking about cultural and cuisine differences and possible difficulties challenging the school in case of retribution.
I have 5 children, 3 of which were/are schooled here. If any of them had been struck by a member of staff and were still being verbally abused I wouldn't be on a expat forum asking for advice on menus.

OK, before any one gets on my case.
I was genuinely concerned for her childs welfare and still am, however.........
The OP has told me that her daughter is happy.
End of.
My apologies to the OP for any offence.

I'm not knocking the OP. far from it, I can still remember what it was like to have a child who is 'different', even though he is now grown up. But you have to be realistic here.

They are not going to dish out different food to the OP's child, are they? So the OP's daughter has no choice but to eat it, starve, or go home for lunch. And if she choses to stay to dinner, then she should eat the food. If she doesn't want to eat it she should go home to dinner. The staff haven't got the time to deal with pickiness when they have a school full of children to feed. Staying to dinner and then whinging about the food is not an option and if she does this then I see no reason why she should not go on the naughty chair.

Verbal and physical abuse is a different matter though and needs to be sorted out.

Thanks again for your mostly supportive replies.Its nice to know there is some understanding and I have taken onboard what has been suggested.

She will be coming home for dinners from now on.

No more to say really.I dont want this thread to turn into a slanging match about me (again).

Right decision, hope all works out OK.

Good to hear you've made steps to resolve it. Hope it goes well for you and your daughter.

Would like to point out its not just the non-spanish kids that have problems with the food, my son often comes home from comedor telling me that Laura, Angel, Pedro etc didn't get to play at lunch cos they wouldn't eat their food!! All kids have different tastes, luckily the monitors at my sons comedor are great and tend to strike deals with the kids about how much they need to eat rather than forcing them to eat everything, sometimes it works, sometimes they don't get playtime!

I would definitely be heading to see the Headteacher though about the abuse, its not on and your daughter doesn't have to suffer any consequences now if she is coming home for dinners now, I hope x

Bit of a generalisation there.

My kids take a sandwich and a drink to school everyday. If they didn't they would go hungry. They go to a small Spanish village school and have done so for several years now.
To say that ALL Spanish schools do not allow packed lunches is simply not the case.

Sorry to hear of the OP's problems though. It's difficult getting kids to eat properly.

is that for their main meal though, or for a snack?

in our area in the primary schools they start at 9am & take a snack to eat in the playground at around 11am then the main lunch break is 12.30 to 3 - they are not allowed to take anything for that meal

school then continues from 3pm til 4.30pm

are the school hours the same in your area?

I think hours must be (groan) a movable feast - son#2's old school was 9-2 (I think now extended to 2 15 ish) and they pretty much HAD to take desayuno with them - the snack spoken of but were not allowed to take food for lunch, which luckily by and large he loved!

Ah, therein lies the difference.
My kids school hours are 9.30 - 2.30 with just the one break at 12 (I think). They then come home and we all have our main meal at around 3pm.

I assumed that all Spanish state schools would have similar hours.