Saving our school canteens
Once a fixture of every school in the land, canteens and tuckshops are in danger of becoming extinct.
When I was growing up, getting lunch from the school canteen was a weekly treat that was a welcome break from the polony*-and-sauce sandwiches that I regularly attempted to bury in the sandpit. We could buy half an icy pole for 10c and a small bag of chips for 30c. When your mother made an appearance as a lunchtime volunteer, it was like being a rockstar in the schoolyard.
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When I reached high school, my tastes had evolved to a custom-ordered paté, egg and salad roll that no one else seemed to understand, but the volunteers were always happy to make it for me. And to my eyes, there never seemed to be a shortage of volunteers.
By the time I had my own children, it was a school requirement that each class provide volunteers once a term to work in the primary school canteen. It was a doable by painful request, but as the years slid by, the number of parents who weren’t working full-time dropped noticeably. When the well of volunteers dried up, the school looked to outsource to a professional and never looked back.
But not all schools have this option, and as such canteens are under threat like never before, at risk by a combination of increasing financial strain on both families and operations plus shortages of staff and volunteers. This is a situation that demands our immediate attention.
According to the Federation of Canteens in Schools (FOCIS) “Without immediate action and support, many school canteens will be forced to close, depriving children of an essential service that contributes to their health, social development, and academic success.”
Leanne Elliston is the FOCIS Chair and Senior Dietitian/Chief Executive Officer at Nutrition Australia ACT, and is passionate about working with children, parents, the education system and the community to encourage healthy eating habits.
Sadly, having a school canteen or tuckshop open daily is no longer a given in many Australian schools. Some schools have gone from a canteen that is open daily to one that is now only open once or twice a week, while other schools are out-sourcing to local bakeries and cafes to supply a limited lunch menu.
“The volunteer-based model that has traditionally supported them is no longer sustainable. With rising operational costs, canteens struggle to keep prices affordable for families, even as demand from busy families grows.” FOCIS
A school canteen is more than just the supply of frozen yoghurts and ham and cheese toasties.
Elliston says: “School canteens are an integral part of the school community and provide far more than just meals. [They] are a critical support system that offers nutritious food options to children, many of whom may not have reliable access to healthy meals at home. As food insecurity rises across Australia, the role of school canteens in promoting healthy eating habits and supporting children’s overall wellbeing has never been more crucial.”
“Canteens not only provide meals that save time and reduce the stress of preparing school lunches, but they also play a crucial role in teaching children about nutrition and fostering a sense of community within schools and friendship groups,” she adds.
Why are school canteens under threat?
Elliston explains that the rise in the cost of living, in particular produce, has impacted the ability of canteens and tuckshops to remain viable. Additionally, many canteens and tuckshops are finding it hard to recruit and sustain volunteer numbers while a lack of funding makes it hard for these hubs to operate.
In response, FOCIS is calling on interested parties to register their interest in a National Roundtable. This roundtable will unite diverse voices with the goal of developing sustainable, innovative strategies to ensure Canteens can continue to operate and thrive going forward.
“Anyone who plays a key role in shaping school food environments such as government decision-makers, public health advocates, nutritionists, dietitians, researchers, education staff, volunteers, canteen, and tuckshop managers—should consider signing up,” says Elliston.
“The roundtable aims to develop innovative recommendations to ensure canteens remain open and financially viable, while continuing to provide healthy, affordable meals to students. It will explore government support and funding opportunities, advocate for increased resources for canteen staff and volunteers, and address their specific needs.”
FOCIS is investigating options that may enable the Roundtable to deliver in person, otherwise it will be held online.
Why should we care?
“When school canteens close, Canteen Managers lose their jobs, schools lose crucial fundraising opportunities, and the central, beloved hubs that students enjoy are gone. Parents also lose the convenience of knowing they can rely on lunch orders or canteen purchases when needed,” explains Elliston.
“Additionally, school canteens serve as valuable platforms for programs that educate students about food and healthy eating. They often provide essential support to students who come to school without food, helping to fill this critical gap.”
*Devon to those in the Eastern states
