Should You Be Allowed to Snack in Class?

By second period, it’s hard for me to focus on anything except how hungry I am. I’ve had class schedules where lunch isn’t until after 1 p.m., and by then, paying attention is a lost cause. My classmates and I aren’t thinking about the lesson—we’re counting the minutes until we can eat.

Allowing snacks in class, with reasonable rules, would help students stay engaged. A quick granola bar or handful of crackers isn’t distracting, but it makes a tangible difference in energy and focus. Teachers already manage larger distractions, like devices and side conversations, so a few simple snack rules shouldn’t be difficult to enforce. If the goal of school is to help students learn, then it makes sense to support what helps fuel our brains: eating.

—Sakshi Keshav, 11th-grader from Washington State

Eating in class can be very disruptive. In one of my classes, some kids bring in snacks that come in loud, crinkly packaging that is distracting to the people sitting near them. In another class, the student I sit next to tends to bring in food to share, meaning that his friends will cross the room or reach across many desks to get a few bites. All of this disturbs our ability to learn and focus.

Eating in class can also pose a safety hazard for students with food allergies. While teachers could ban foods in their classrooms that students are allergic to, that could be difficult to enforce and could put students at risk. If food is allowed in class, students with allergies will spend time worrying about their safety, making it even harder to focus on their work.

—Zachary Abbey, 10th-grader from California