Polish ice cream parlor ends student reward tradition after Ombudsman's request

An ice cream parlor in Pszczyna, Poland, has ended a 25-year tradition of rewarding top-performing students with free ice cream after receiving a letter from the Children's Ombudsman. The parlor, "Lodziarnia Pod Dębem" (Ice Cream Parlor Under the Oak), had continued the initiative started by its late founder, Tadeusz Hałas, for a quarter-century.

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The level of absurd manipulation towards Ms. Jola and me has reached unprecedented heights. We, along with the team from Lodziarnia pod Dębem, send a lot of kindness! And on June 26th, together with Ms. Jola and the district office, we are organizing a joint event in Pszczyna for every child! We will celebrate together and oppose hate speech.

Children's Ombudsman Monika Horna-Cieślak wrote to the parlor in July 2025, requesting they reconsider their initiative. She suggested finding ways to support and reward children that do not differentiate based on educational achievements, advocating for inclusivity for all children regardless of their grades. In a follow-up letter in March 2026, the Ombudsman reiterated her position, emphasizing that various factors, including family situation, mental and physical health, and access to educational resources, influence academic results. She argued that focusing solely on grades can create unnecessary pressure for students who do not achieve high marks for diverse reasons.

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We received a personalized letter from the Children's Ombudsman asking us to stop this initiative. Therefore, we are forced to end the tradition that was started by the founder of the parlor, the late Tadeusz Hałas. Every year we gave away several hundred free ice creams on this day.

The parlor owner announced on social media that they were "forced to end the tradition" due to the Ombudsman's request. They expressed solidarity with the Ombudsman and the parlor's team, announcing a joint event with Horna-Cieślak and the Pszczyna district on June 26th. This event aims to celebrate and stand against hate speech. Copies of the official letters from the Ombudsman's office were displayed at the parlor. While the letters contained recommendations and requests rather than binding orders, the owners decided to comply.

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I am writing to you with an appeal to consider forms of support and reward for children in the future that will not divide children based on their educational achievements, but will be equally accessible to all, regardless of grades on their school report. I believe it is possible to find solutions that are motivating and fully inclusive.

Despite discontinuing the free ice cream for top students, the parlor encouraged residents to celebrate the end of the school year together. The situation has sparked discussion about how to best recognize and reward children's achievements in an inclusive manner. The parlor's decision to end the long-standing tradition highlights the complexities of balancing traditional practices with evolving social considerations and advocacy for child welfare.

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We want to draw attention to the fact that many factors influence academic results, including family and financial situation, mental and physical health, and access to educational resources, as well as the diverse interpretation of school grading systems in the statutes of schools and educational institutions. Therefore, focusing on grades as a criterion for rewards can lead to unnecessary pressure among students who, for various reasons, do not achieve high results in their studies.