Some school canteen stalls closing due to falling revenues, as home-based learning keep students away
Outside some schools, posters calling out to potential canteen stall owners can be found. Many such requests are also posted online.
MOE said schools have the autonomy to manage their canteens within its guidelines, to ensure a sufficient variety of food to meet the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim students.
SINGAPORE: Some school canteen operators have closed their stalls due to falling revenues after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes as home-based learning has kept students away, canteen stallholders told CNA.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement that most schools currently have an “adequate” number of stalls to meet the needs of students.
“However, schools may occasionally face challenges in finding canteen stallholders, and the reasons behind this differ from school to school,” it added.
LESS OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE STUDENTS
Outside some schools, posters calling out to potential canteen stall owners can be found. Many such requests are also posted online.
A check by CNA found about 60 advertisements on MOE's website.
Canteen vendor My NoNNa's, for instance, was losing 20 per cent of revenue each month.
From operating three stalls during the pandemic, it now only has one.
“So, while COVID was difficult, it was more the post-COVID situation that actually was very much more difficult to manage,” said Ms Geraldine Tan, chief executive officer of My NoNNa's.
“There are still a lot of e-learning days in schools. So you will find that e-learning days are basically zero revenue days for us. And the costs kept going up still.”
Ms Tan said it was a difficult decision to close some school outlets.
“We refuse to compromise on the quality of the food, the size, the portions. So for us, while the costs keep going up, the yield will keep going down. And that's not a tenable situation," she added.
Ms Tan has since moved on to new ventures such as cultivating edible greens and helping persons with special needs.
Five previous schools have asked Ms Tan to return since the start of the year, but she is unlikely to go back.
SOME PARENTS RESORT TO PACKING THEIR CHILDREN’S MEALS
With some schools having a lack of food options, parents are being forced to take things into their own hands.
Parent Ain Yuza, for example, wakes up at 4.30am every morning to prepare packed meals for her children, after she noticed changes to the canteen operators at her eldest son's school.
“After the pandemic, when they can dine at the canteen, the shops are closed. Unsure what really happened,” said the mother-of-two.
Citing a particular stall that sells instant takeaway food, she said: “So what happened was that the licence was initially halal. Then, it's no longer halal.
“So (my son) was pretty upset and that limits his number of vendors (to order food from). I think he's only left with two or three.”
SCHOOLS HAVE AUTONOMY TO MANAGE THEIR CANTEENS
MOE said schools have the autonomy to manage their canteens within its guidelines, to ensure a sufficient variety of food to meet the needs of Muslim and non-Muslim students.
“In situations where schools are unable to find suitable stallholders after repeated attempts, they may allow canteen stallholders and their household members to operate up to three stalls in the same school or another school to meet the immediate needs of students,” the ministry noted.
Schools in the midst of sourcing for stallholders serving halal options “will still find ways to meet the dietary needs of Muslim students, such as by catering packed meals for them”, it added.
MOE said it will continue to monitor the situation to assess if and when further support might be necessary for schools.
