Philadelphia parent feeding your child breakfast at home before school?

Shame on you!

Breakfast participation will be part of the report card that rates principals each year, along with categories such as attendance and math and reading performance.

All 165,000 students in Philadelphia public schools, regardless of income, are eligible for free breakfasts. But just 54,000 ate breakfast last year, district figures show.

The new system, which begins this year, is expected to increase the number of students eating breakfast, said Jonathan Stein, a lawyer with Community Legal Services, whose efforts - along with those of Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) - helped bring about the move.

Many studies have shown that breakfast boosts student performance and health.

"This is the first accountability system for school meals in the history of the school system," Stein said. "It's very exciting."

ADDED: "Some schools need the push of accountability," said Kathy Fisher, PCCY family economic security associate. "We're really pleased the district is taking this important step to support kids' learning."

I guess in some places, parents are off the hook as the primary providers for their children, and it's now the school's job to step in. First lunch, now breakfast -- how soon until dinner and bedtime are the school's job too?

Nevermind the old-fashioned notion that the primary job of schools is solely teaching the three R's; there's always online diplomas -- and the hope of the homeschooled kids -- to carry society, eh? But are we sure there will be enough of them, in numbers, learning what they'll need to compete for the advanced degrees, provide innovation, and employ plain common sense in living independent lives.

Or is it dependency we're really shooting for here? So much easier to keep people under control in the coming caste society, when you've effectively eliminated America's middle class...

(more on Robert Coles.)