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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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Three operators \u2013 Gourmetz, Chang Cheng Mee Wah and Wilmar Distribution \u2013 were selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE) based on factors including meal price competitiveness, menu variety and track record.<\/p>\n
Gourmetz operates five of the 13 school canteens \u2013 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\u2019s new Anchorvale Crescent campus.<\/p>\n
CNA spoke to students and parents from five schools and found that the most serious complaints centred on pre-ordering systems that malfunctioned.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first day was not very pleasant, actually \u2026 he had to use whatever I prepared for him for snack time during recess,\u201d said the 39-year-old.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s really a lot of issues with the app or the system, so it is causing a bit of a headache on my end,\u201d said the 44-year-old.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Parents at Casuarina Primary, whose canteen is run by Wilmar Distribution, reported missing items from orders and delays in food distribution.<\/p>\n
Ms Katherine, who asked to be identified only by her first name, said her son’s order had missing items.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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\u2019t get it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt comes with a flavouring in the rice. And I really like it,\u201d she said.\u00a0
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