A Silesian ice cream shop must end a 25-year-old tradition this year. A quarter of a century ago, the shop’s founder decided to reward pupils who received school certificates with honors with a free portion of ice cream. Following a letter from the Children’s Rights Ombudsman, the custom will now be discontinued.
“It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that, for the first time in 25 years, on the day school certificates are handed out, we will not be able to continue our tradition of giving free ice cream to pupils with certificates with honors.
We received a letter addressed to us from the Children’s Rights Ombudsman requesting that we discontinue this initiative. As a result, we are forced to end the tradition started by the founder of the ice cream shop, the late Tadeusz Hałas. Every year, we gave away several hundred free ice creams on that day (...).
Although we are ending this beautiful custom, we warmly invite all pupils, parents and our customers to celebrate the end of the school year together with us," ” the owners of the ice cream shop in Pszczyna wrote on social media.
The situation quickly attracted nationwide attention. Even politicians became involved in trying to clarify the matter.
“I will file a report on the suspected offence of abuse of power by this lady,”
Przemysław Wipler wrote.
At the same time, he appealed for people to point out “similar offences” allegedly committed by Children’s Rights Ombudsman Monika Horna-Cieślak.
PiS politician Paweł Jabłoński also did not hide his outrage. He cited a passage from the letter stating that the “ice cream for honors” initiative may potentially violate children’s rights, create excessive psychological pressure, promote unhealthy competition and lead to peer exclusion.