Okaz

The role of school canteens should not only be to provide food to students and ensure that they meet all health and safety requirements. In the past canteens played an educational role and did not just offer food to students who did not bring anything to eat from home.

In those days, school canteens were small businesses in which students, at the beginning of each year, would buy shares. At the end of the year, the profits would be distributed to students.

School canteens were successful economic models from which could students learn a lot. They learned the value and meaning of participation and partnership. Students even took part in managing the canteen in which they invested their money and this took place under the supervision of the school’s administration. This was part of the school’s extracurricular activities. There were School Canteen Clubs in the past in the way that there were Radio Clubs, Theater Clubs, Journalism Clubs, etc. I hope the Ministry of Education will review the situation and find a way to replicate the role that school canteens played in the past.