SINGAPORE: A new central kitchen model at some schools has encountered teething problems, with parents reporting technical glitches that left some children without meals and expressing concerns about the system's trade-offs.
The initiative, being rolled out from this month at 13 schools across Singapore, is an expansion of a 2022 pilot programme to address a growing shortage of canteen operators while keeping school meals affordable.
Three operators – Gourmetz, Chang Cheng Mee Wah and Wilmar Distribution – were selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE) based on factors including meal price competitiveness, menu variety and track record.
Gourmetz operates five of the 13 school canteens – Blangah Rise Primary, CHIJ Kellock, Radin Mas Primary, River Valley Primary and Outram Secondary at its York Hill campus. Chang Cheng Mee Wah runs canteens at Dazhong Primary, Kranji Primary, Pioneer Primary, Qifa Primary and West View Primary, while Wilmar Distribution manages four at Casuarina Primary, Chongzheng Primary, Northoaks Primary and Outram Secondary’s new Anchorvale Crescent campus.
CNA spoke to students and parents from five schools and found that the most serious complaints centred on pre-ordering systems that malfunctioned.
Mr Ken Chan, whose Primary 1 son attends Radin Mas Primary, was unable to set up an account despite registering before the deadline. As a result, his son did not get a meal on the first day of school but paid cash to redeem meals on subsequent days.
“The first day was not very pleasant, actually … he had to use whatever I prepared for him for snack time during recess,” said the 39-year-old.
At CHIJ Kellock, whose canteen is also run by Gourmetz, Mr Adrian Yeap encountered a different problem: after depositing the minimum S$50 (US$39) into his account for his two daughters' meals, the system automatically deducted funds, leaving just S$1.50.
“It's really a lot of issues with the app or the system, so it is causing a bit of a headache on my end,” said the 44-year-old.
Parents at Casuarina Primary, whose canteen is run by Wilmar Distribution, reported missing items from orders and delays in food distribution.
Ms Katherine, who asked to be identified only by her first name, said her son's order had missing items.
“The first day was actually quite bad, because they missed out on some of the things I had ordered. When I asked my son whether he got his drink and extra sides, he said he didn’t get it,” she said.
He also only received his meal near the end of recess on the first day. "A lot of the kids were almost done eating but he was still waiting for his food," she said. The school extended recess to accommodate the delays.
Ms Rachael Queh said payment failed after she placed her order for her Primary 1 daughter at Casuarina Primary. When parents could not complete online orders, teachers had to assist with on-site ordering, creating long queues and further delays.
Students CNA spoke to expressed divided opinions on the pre-prepared meals. While some said they enjoyed the dishes, others found the food less appealing than traditional canteen offerings.
Mr Joseph Lim said his seven-year-old daughter at Radin Mas Primary School has been satisfied with her meals. On Wednesday, she had Japanese chicken rice during recess.
“It comes with a flavouring in the rice. And I really like it,” she said.
Food lockers at Pioneer Primary School. (Photo: Wendy Fam)
Some parents of students at Pioneer Primary School raised concerns that the height of the lockers might be too high for younger students. (Photo: Elaine Ong)
But parents were more critical, particularly around portion sizes and the lack of variety.
Ms Fion Chen, whose son started Primary 1 at Pioneer Primary this year, said: "My son’s feedback is that the food is not so nice … But I understand because of the Health Promotion Board’s guidelines, it’s actually more healthy for the children.
"But portion-wise, I think it's not very balanced. I don't see any fruits even though they said there’s a fruit of the day," she added. "There isn’t a lot of variety too, and I don’t know whether they will change the menu."
At Radin Mas Primary School, a parent who identified herself as Ms Zhang said her Primary 1 daughter does not like to go to school because the food is “not so nice”.
Ms Zhang, who also has a son at Hwa Chong Institution, questioned why schools had to shift to the central kitchen model. The school recently rolled out a new canteen programme that sparked online backlash after photos of the food were circulated online.
“I still prefer the old one. The children can go to the stall and pick what they want to eat,” she said, adding that it teaches them communication and money-handling skills.
Wilmar Distribution acknowledged the issues at Casuarina Primary and said it was responding to parents and working with the school to address the concerns.
“As this is a new operating model, we have been closely monitoring its roll-out and addressing early issues. We understand the frustration this has caused and take the feedback seriously,” a spokesperson said.
CNA has also contacted the other two operators – Gourmetz and Chang Cheng Mee Wah – for comment.
The education ministry told CNA that operators are required to provide at least one full halal, non-halal and vegetarian meal, each priced at no more than S$2.70 in primary schools and S$3.60 in secondary schools.
MOE said it will work with operators to refine menu selections if necessary.
It added that participating schools retain a physical stall for drinks and snacks, which continue to provide opportunities for students to practise social interactions and money-handling skills.
Some parents said the responsibility of ordering meals for their children added to their mental load.
Ms Rabiah, whose two children are at Dazhong Primary, said: "We have to remember to order for the next day. If you forget, there’s no meal."
She also has to remind her children where to collect food from. "Every day we have to tell them, ‘This is your locker number,’ because it’s not the same locker every day,” she said.
Ms Manisa Osman, whose son attends Dazhong Primary, said the 3pm ordering deadline is "a bit tight", particularly when her son finishes school at 1.30pm.
“By the time we get home, it’s already past 2pm. Luckily, he reminds me to quickly book for him.”
Beyond technical and taste concerns, parents expressed worry about the centralised kitchen model taking away the traditional experience of a recess break.
A parent who only wanted to be known as Ms Low opted her Primary 4 child at Radin Mas out of the scheme. Instead, he brings food from home.
“With our childhood, we get to learn how to pay money, count money, get the experience with the different uncles and aunties. So I'm not really in favour of the centralised kitchen,” the 38-year-old said.
Mr Yeap, the father of two daughters at CHIJ Kellock, echoed this sentiment: "Choosing your own food in canteen during recess is something that is quite important. I mean, it is a part of their life they have … control over, as opposed to other parts of their life where parents are in control of. Removing that affects development."
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The initiative, being rolled out from this month at 13 schools across Singapore, is an expansion of a 2022 pilot programme to address a growing shortage of canteen operators while keeping school meals affordable.
Three operators – Gourmetz, Chang Cheng Mee Wah and Wilmar Distribution – were selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE) based on factors including meal price competitiveness, menu variety and track record.
Gourmetz operates five of the 13 school canteens – Blangah Rise Primary, CHIJ Kellock, Radin Mas Primary, River Valley Primary and Outram Secondary at its York Hill campus. Chang Cheng Mee Wah runs canteens at Dazhong Primary, Kranji Primary, Pioneer Primary, Qifa Primary and West View Primary, while Wilmar Distribution manages four at Casuarina Primary, Chongzheng Primary, Northoaks Primary and Outram Secondary’s new Anchorvale Crescent campus.
ORDERING HICCUPS
CNA spoke to students and parents from five schools and found that the most serious complaints centred on pre-ordering systems that malfunctioned.
Mr Ken Chan, whose Primary 1 son attends Radin Mas Primary, was unable to set up an account despite registering before the deadline. As a result, his son did not get a meal on the first day of school but paid cash to redeem meals on subsequent days.
“The first day was not very pleasant, actually … he had to use whatever I prepared for him for snack time during recess,” said the 39-year-old.
At CHIJ Kellock, whose canteen is also run by Gourmetz, Mr Adrian Yeap encountered a different problem: after depositing the minimum S$50 (US$39) into his account for his two daughters' meals, the system automatically deducted funds, leaving just S$1.50.
“It's really a lot of issues with the app or the system, so it is causing a bit of a headache on my end,” said the 44-year-old.
Parents at Casuarina Primary, whose canteen is run by Wilmar Distribution, reported missing items from orders and delays in food distribution.
Ms Katherine, who asked to be identified only by her first name, said her son's order had missing items.
“The first day was actually quite bad, because they missed out on some of the things I had ordered. When I asked my son whether he got his drink and extra sides, he said he didn’t get it,” she said.
He also only received his meal near the end of recess on the first day. "A lot of the kids were almost done eating but he was still waiting for his food," she said. The school extended recess to accommodate the delays.
Ms Rachael Queh said payment failed after she placed her order for her Primary 1 daughter at Casuarina Primary. When parents could not complete online orders, teachers had to assist with on-site ordering, creating long queues and further delays.
MIXED REVIEWS ON FOOD QUALITY
Students CNA spoke to expressed divided opinions on the pre-prepared meals. While some said they enjoyed the dishes, others found the food less appealing than traditional canteen offerings.
Mr Joseph Lim said his seven-year-old daughter at Radin Mas Primary School has been satisfied with her meals. On Wednesday, she had Japanese chicken rice during recess.
“It comes with a flavouring in the rice. And I really like it,” she said.
Food lockers at Pioneer Primary School. (Photo: Wendy Fam)
Some parents of students at Pioneer Primary School raised concerns that the height of the lockers might be too high for younger students. (Photo: Elaine Ong)
But parents were more critical, particularly around portion sizes and the lack of variety.
Ms Fion Chen, whose son started Primary 1 at Pioneer Primary this year, said: "My son’s feedback is that the food is not so nice … But I understand because of the Health Promotion Board’s guidelines, it’s actually more healthy for the children.
"But portion-wise, I think it's not very balanced. I don't see any fruits even though they said there’s a fruit of the day," she added. "There isn’t a lot of variety too, and I don’t know whether they will change the menu."
At Radin Mas Primary School, a parent who identified herself as Ms Zhang said her Primary 1 daughter does not like to go to school because the food is “not so nice”.
Ms Zhang, who also has a son at Hwa Chong Institution, questioned why schools had to shift to the central kitchen model. The school recently rolled out a new canteen programme that sparked online backlash after photos of the food were circulated online.
“I still prefer the old one. The children can go to the stall and pick what they want to eat,” she said, adding that it teaches them communication and money-handling skills.
OPERATOR ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEMS
Wilmar Distribution acknowledged the issues at Casuarina Primary and said it was responding to parents and working with the school to address the concerns.
“As this is a new operating model, we have been closely monitoring its roll-out and addressing early issues. We understand the frustration this has caused and take the feedback seriously,” a spokesperson said.
CNA has also contacted the other two operators – Gourmetz and Chang Cheng Mee Wah – for comment.
The education ministry told CNA that operators are required to provide at least one full halal, non-halal and vegetarian meal, each priced at no more than S$2.70 in primary schools and S$3.60 in secondary schools.
MOE said it will work with operators to refine menu selections if necessary.
It added that participating schools retain a physical stall for drinks and snacks, which continue to provide opportunities for students to practise social interactions and money-handling skills.
Related:
ADDED MENTAL LOAD
Some parents said the responsibility of ordering meals for their children added to their mental load.
Ms Rabiah, whose two children are at Dazhong Primary, said: "We have to remember to order for the next day. If you forget, there’s no meal."
She also has to remind her children where to collect food from. "Every day we have to tell them, ‘This is your locker number,’ because it’s not the same locker every day,” she said.
Ms Manisa Osman, whose son attends Dazhong Primary, said the 3pm ordering deadline is "a bit tight", particularly when her son finishes school at 1.30pm.
“By the time we get home, it’s already past 2pm. Luckily, he reminds me to quickly book for him.”
Beyond technical and taste concerns, parents expressed worry about the centralised kitchen model taking away the traditional experience of a recess break.
A parent who only wanted to be known as Ms Low opted her Primary 4 child at Radin Mas out of the scheme. Instead, he brings food from home.
“With our childhood, we get to learn how to pay money, count money, get the experience with the different uncles and aunties. So I'm not really in favour of the centralised kitchen,” the 38-year-old said.
Mr Yeap, the father of two daughters at CHIJ Kellock, echoed this sentiment: "Choosing your own food in canteen during recess is something that is quite important. I mean, it is a part of their life they have … control over, as opposed to other parts of their life where parents are in control of. Removing that affects development."
Related:
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