Parental Filter

Yes, I do think that table manners should be taught at school. Many of those kids have a "grab as you're heading out the door" breakfast if any at all and then often it's not a sit-down meal with the family for dinner, either. School seems the best place for that since they all sit down for lunch every day.

I certainly think that manners should reinforced at school (including table manners) but the main responsibility for teaching manners rests with the parents and wider family.

I have been to schools at lunch time and to be honest I just don't see how you would be able to enforce good etiquette. I guess if you seen something that was really rude then yes but it would be hard to watch that many kids for manners when they are all in one area like that.

I do agree thought that as parents you have to teach them at home. If you don't you will definitely not want to eat out anywhere with them when they get older.

Yes that is a good point tater, but more importantly we should guard our parental role and not let the government take over our responsibility. Parents are best placed to teach their children values and manners.

I agree with that, parental responsibility is something that we guard fiercely, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children how to behave.

At my elementary school table manners were stressed. The first time someone was caught with their elbows on the table, everyone got to sing a little song at them about getting their elbows off. Second offense at the same lunch, and five minutes was taken off recess. You can bet there was peer pressure about elbows!
That was probably a bit harsh...

Honestly, I would rather see the teachers watching for other things such as bullying. I will teach the manners here at home. But is really just my opinion on the matter.

It's really too bad that those with money can send their children to finishing schools. The training, that goes beyond what would happen in a strictly family atmosphere, opens doors for them in ways that parents with children in government run schools, don't really appreciate.

I would gladly send children to "finishing classes" in a public school. My goal would be to remove as many barriers for them as possible. Since my tax money is already fun ding the basics, I want some of it to help give my son or daughter a "leg up" in social situations where impressing the right contacts might count.

I went to a fee paying school (not a finishing school) they certainly taught us manners, including table manners, they were very strict about such things, even the way we spoke mattered but I don't think those things gave me any advantage, what the school gave me was an excellent academic education, a love of learning and a belief that I could do whatever I set my mind on.

Some people won't find the training advantageous because they aren't in situations where it counts that much.

Having those skills in the personal arsenal, though, is good and may grant a few advantages that aren't readily apparent.