{"id":40578,"date":"2026-03-31T07:23:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T23:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=40578"},"modified":"2026-03-31T07:23:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T23:23:38","slug":"more-than-just-a-place-to-eat-schools-revamp-canteens-as-social-hangouts-study-corners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=40578","title":{"rendered":"More than just a place to eat: Schools revamp canteens as social hangouts, study corners"},"content":{"rendered":"


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SINGAPORE \u2013 For generations, school canteens have typically been places where students eat quickly before hurrying off for their next lesson. <\/p>\n

Rows of long multi-coloured rectangular tables \u2013 a familiar sight in many Singapore schools \u2013 have long defined these spaces, built for efficiency rather than comfort.<\/p>\n

But that is changing. <\/p>\n

In a growing number of schools, including Yishun Secondary School, Zhenghua Secondary School and Tampines Meridian Junior College, canteens are turning into spaces where students no longer simply eat and leave. <\/p>\n

Redesigned to resemble trendy cafes and social hangouts, these areas are encouraging students to linger, interact and unwind. <\/p>\n

The three schools are among several that have, in the past year, redesigned their canteens as multi-functional spaces that go beyond mealtimes. <\/p>\n

At least 12 schools, including Montfort Secondary, Zhonghua Primary and CHIJ St Joseph\u2019s Convent, had put up tenders on government procurement portal GeBIZ in 2025 to refurbish their canteens to meet a range of purposes.<\/p>\n

These include spaces for food composting and recycling, and interactive zones where students use touch-screen monitors to learn. Other features include spaces to encourage inquiry-based learning, where students learn by exploring and asking questions.<\/p>\n

At Zhenghua Secondary in Bukit Panjang, standing tables and high chairs have been built around the pillars in its canteen, with USB ports for students to charge their personal learning devices. <\/p>\n

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The canteen at Zhenghua Secondary School before (left) and after it was revamped.<\/p>\n

PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN, ZHENGHUA SECONDARY SCHOOL<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The long benches and tables have been replaced with more comfortable chairs that offer back support and modular furniture set-ups like round tables and seating booths. There are also board games like chess for students to borrow and play.<\/p>\n

Zhenghua Secondary principal Ng Hock Soon said the canteen was revamped in November and December 2025 after putting in place stricter phone use rules in the second term of 2025, not allowing students to use their phones during break periods. <\/p>\n

This was done before the nationwide phone use guidelines<\/span><\/a> were rolled out in January 2026, barring students from using their phones during break periods.<\/p>\n

Said Mr Ng: \u201cIt\u2019s a more relaxed atmosphere, making it feel like a cafe… Some of the stallholders tell me that they see new student faces in the canteen now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Mr Ng Hock Soon, principal of Zhenghua Secondary School, said students enjoy spending more time in the revamped canteen.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The canteen also doubles as a classroom for learning about sustainability. <\/p>\n

A water cooler fitted with a tracker encourages the use of reusable water bottles, while a weighing scale lets students monitor the amount of food they throw away.<\/p>\n

Secondary 5 student Mimi Wardina, 17, said the food waste bin has made her more mindful about discarding leftovers. <\/p>\n

The revamped space, with flexible square and round tables, has also changed how students interact. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s facing each other, and it\u2019s easier to look at their facial expressions. So everybody\u2019s talking and actually present in a conversation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her Secondary 4 schoolmate Jessica Ong, 16, said the muted colours and earth tones create a calm environment that helps students focus when studying.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like a cafe, like kopitiam vibes. It breaks the stereotype of an ordinary canteen,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI used to study at home by myself or through Zoom with my friends. Now, I like studying with them here at the canteen. It\u2019s easier to clarify questions or even meet with our teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Yishun Secondary, students also now gather to rest and work at its new canteen space, whose revamp was completed in March.<\/p>\n

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The canteen at Yishun Secondary School before (left) and after it was revamped.<\/p>\n

PHOTOS: JASEL POH, YISHUN SECONDARY SCHOOL<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The school\u2019s vice-principal, Mr Tay Hiang Soon, said the staff in charge of the canteen redesign took inspiration from the spaces students flocked to after school. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe also enjoy going to places like cafes… where we can be (like) youngsters, and don\u2019t mind doing work there or having proper chit-chat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The project started in June 2025 and was completed in two phases. <\/p>\n

The first stage involved converting an underutilised corner into a tiered seating platform known as The Stairway, an alternative space for students to rest or interact with their friends.<\/p>\n

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Students sitting at The Stairway in Yishun Secondary School\u2019s redesigned canteen on March 25, 2026.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: JASEL POH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

High bar-top tables were built around existing pillars. Equipped with electrical points, the tables have become hot spots for students in the canteen, said Mr Tay. \u201cThe pillars were an eyesore, and we wanted to turn them into usable features we see in cafes and fast-food restaurants.\u201d <\/p>\n

Every change was intentional, said Mr Tay, from the use of warm LED lights to create a calming mood to the placement of a piano near the communal areas to foster creativity. <\/p>\n

The second stage involved swopping standard tables and chairs for varied seating nooks and arrangements, from longer rectangular tables for larger groups to smaller circular ones for some privacy. <\/p>\n

Said Mr Tay: \u201cPreviously, for formal discussions or learning, (students) would prefer to go to the library because (it has) air-con. But now, we see many students linger here even after school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yishun Secondary student Vijesh Tamilko, 15, said the revamp has changed his daily routine. <\/p>\n

\u201cI found myself studying more at the high bar-top tables because… the elevated tables make it easier to hear my friends during revision and discussion,\u201d said the Secondary 4 student. <\/p>\n

He also likes the new curved and partially enclosed seating areas. <\/p>\n

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The new tables at Yishun Secondary School\u2019s redesigned canteen, which features two decks to allow more space for students to have meals together.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: JASEL POH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cPreviously, with the tables all lined up, you didn\u2019t feel a sense of privacy. Having this enclosed space to ourselves helps us unwind, and we\u2019re able to talk about some things you don\u2019t want other people to hear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

At Tampines Meridian Junior College, its canteen makeover was helmed by students.<\/p>\n

The journey began in 2022, when a formerly empty space outside the canteen was turned into a lounge space now known as the Cove. This was followed by a major redesign in 2025 of the canteen.<\/p>\n

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The unused space beside the canteen at Tampines Meridian JC before (left) and after it was turned into a student lounge.<\/p>\n

PHOTOS: LIM YAOHUI, TAMPINES MERIDIAN JC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ms Nicolette Chia, a mathematics teacher at TMJC who oversaw the canteen redesign, said the projects are part of a cohort tradition, where graduating batches leave a permanent mark on the campus. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to empower student voice and agency. It\u2019s a project they take ownership of, so that when they return to the college, it\u2019s something they can be proud of.\u201d <\/p>\n

For Mr Goh Jun Keat, 20, who graduated in 2025 and was a member of the student council that led the canteen revamp, the project was more than just about the aesthetics. <\/p>\n

The canteen had remained largely unchanged for nearly 20 years since the college\u2019s early days. <\/p>\n

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The canteen at Tampines Meridian JC before and after it was revamped.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI, TAMPINES MERIDIAN JC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe students saw a need for a refresh… You seldom saw people using the canteen for project work or discussions because the furniture was old and less well-maintained,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Goh and his schoolmates set out to create a multi-purpose communal space that made the most of every inch of the hall. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to inspire students to have constructive discussions even while they eat. We managed to turn limited space into different zones for different purposes.\u201d <\/p>\n

Apart from refreshing the stall frontages, high tables and sofas were added. Unused spaces around the hall\u2019s edges became a performance area with a small stage, and group work areas featured extendable tables fitted with whiteboards.<\/p>\n

In the past, Ms Chia said, students would eat and leave the canteen immediately to gather at other areas around the school. Now, it has become a lively space for peer-to-peer learning and is more crowded at any time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the spaces are more inviting, we see a lot more collaboration. Students are making use of the extendable tables to solve mathematics problems together, something we didn\u2019t use to see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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TMJC students using the whiteboard in the canteen\u2019s extendable tables to learn together.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For TMJC student Wang Qiyuan, 17, the revamped canteen and the adjacent Cove lounge space have become the heartbeat of college life. During the school\u2019s open house and orientation programmes, the modern layout of the space allowed student groups to set up booths and engage newcomers in a space that felt \u201cvibrant rather than monotonous\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

Describing the Cove as a meeting place for creativity, Qiyuan said: \u201cI see a lot of students gathering there to busk and make music together. It gives us a platform to perform and improves the overall JC experience, which can otherwise be quite daunting.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Students playing jenga at the Cove in Tampines Meridian JC, on March 10, 2026. <\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He now also prefers studying in the revamped dining hall to doing so at home. The space is particularly conducive during the junior college\u2019s night study programme in the lead-up to exams, with cafe-style lighting and air-conditioning during such sessions. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very encouraging to see so many students in the canteen. You feel inspired by people mugging together because you know you aren\u2019t alone,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a library, but better.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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