UNION COLLEGE

Santa Cruz, Laguna

MASTER OF ARTS
Major in Educational Administration and Supervision

NAME: CHRISSA JOY MATEO

SUBJECT CODE: GA-2006 (School Finance and Educational Legislation)
PROFESSOR: ZOILA BADULIS, Ed. D.

REFLECTION PAPER ON SCHOOL CANTEEN FUND

At first glance one might tend to overlook the humble school canteen, but on

reflection I think most people would agree that the canteen is one of the most important

parts of school life. In this post I will consider two ways in which school canteens play

indispensable roles in the life and functioning of schools. School administrators need to

have a definite canteen policy, must establish canteen committees to seek to improve

service and food quality and must work closely with canteen operators.

The two main ways in which school canteens have an impact on school life are in

supporting teaching through proper nutrition and health practices; including the

provision of special dietary requirements for some students and staff, and in being

sectors of schools which can easily become trouble zones if specific measures are not

put in place to prevent this. A large proportion of students eat in school canteens every

day.  Since they cannot leave the school during the day they constitute a captive market

for canteen operators.  This, however, should never lead to exploitation through high

prices or poor quality food and drinks.  Schools have a duty to feed students and staff

properly.  Administrators and canteen committees must ensure that school canteens
meet national standards for food preparation, storage, hygiene and safety.  Failure to do

so would result in serious health problems for staff and students who consume the fare.

Well planned school canteens support student development and learning.  They

provide adequate nutrition which gives students and staff high energy levels and

prevents diseases, such as obesity and anemia, which are related to poor diet. 

Progressive canteens also forge synergistic links with schools’ food and nutrition

departments and agricultural science departments, where they exist.  School canteens

should serve food and drinks which are low in saturated fats, sugar, salt, and food

dyes.  More fruit, fruit juices, vegetables and whole grain bread should be on the menu. 

There should be fewer soft drinks, no energy drinks or sports drinks, no alcohol, and no

deep-fried food.  It will be necessary to retrain students’ palates in some instances, but

this is in the best interests of the students.

As mentioned earlier, school canteens can become trouble zones if they are not

closely regulated and supervised by the administration.  Canteens can be a barometer

for student conduct.  If preventive measures are not put in place and enforced,

lunchtime can be chaotic and this chaos can spill over into classes after lunch because

some students may be late and unsettled.  Some may even want to continue eating

during class. Administrators, school canteen committees, and operators must

implement systems to enforce queuing and good behavior in the canteen.  A canteen

duty roster for teachers and prefects is a necessity.  The frequent presence of the

principal and teachers will control negative behavior.  These measures will eliminate
queue jumping, fighting, bullying and extortion of money or lunch from younger students

during break and lunchtime.

School canteens can be pleasant spaces which contribute to the development of

students and reflect a positive school climate. The school environment can enhance

children’s skills, knowledge and behaviors in relation to healthy eating. However, in

many countries, unhealthy foods are commonly available in schools, and children can

be exposed to aggressive marketing by the food industry. Taking the perspective of

policymakers, this study aimed to identify barriers and enablers to effective school food

policy development and implementation in the Philippines.