Innovative Canteen Solutions for Singapore Schools as Stallholder Shortage Looms

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Education (MOE) is actively seeking new ways to manage school canteens as a growing number of stallholders retire, leading to an anticipated shortage in future canteen operations. In a bid to address these challenges, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing revealed in Parliament on November 12 that discussions are underway with schools interested in embracing alternative operational models.

One promising approach involves pre-ordering meals from a central kitchen, which are then delivered directly to schools. This model has shown success at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, where students have benefited from a more streamlined and efficient dining experience.

Minister Chan reassured concerned MPs, including Louis Chua and He Ting Ru from Sengkang GRC, that the transition to these new models would not leave existing stallholders without options. He pointed out that schools would assist displaced vendors by referring them to nearby institutions or recommending them for roles with central kitchen operators.

With rising prices of healthy food ingredients and the need to meet nutritional guidelines, there are calls for direct subsidies for school canteen vendors. In line with this, discussions are exploring ways to cater to the dietary needs of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals during school hours.

As reported in April 2024, various schools, including Yusof Ishak Secondary School and Blangah Rise Primary School, have begun utilizing catered food services from established logistics firms. This trend reflects a broader movement among schools to secure reliable food sources while enhancing students’ nutritional habits.

Currently, the MOE has identified 65 vacancies for canteen stallholders across primary and secondary schools. Although most schools have a satisfactory number of vendors, they sometimes find it challenging to recruit new stallholders, particularly when current vendors retire.

Looking to the future, Minister Chan confirmed that MOE will continue to explore diverse options such as central kitchen models, vending machines, and traditional stall operations to cater to varying school needs. While vending machines are primarily intended for snacks and beverages, they could help alleviate the workload in canteens, allowing staff to focus on providing hot meals.

To maintain high-quality food offerings, the MOE closely monitors the service standards, pricing, and nutritional compliance of canteen meals, which must adhere to the Health Promotion Board's guidelines covering essential food groups.

Additionally, the ministry has implemented a stall rental fee structure to support vendors, with rents ranging from $5 to $15 per month and waived during school holidays. To further assist students from lower-income families, meal subsidies and extra funding for schools ensure that all students receive the support they require for healthy eating.

As Singapore's education system navigates the evolving landscape of school nutrition, the MOE’s proactive steps aim to create a sustainable, healthy, and diverse food environment for its students.