The SEC elaborates on the new cafeteria system in schools

A permanent committee comprising officials from the Supreme Education Council’s Shared Services, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Supreme Council for Health, Qatar General Authority for Standards and Measures and the Education Institute set up to prepare a plan to provide schools with healthy and cost effective food following reports in the various media on the new cafeteria system in schools has released a study on its findings.

The study details the condition of cafeterias in the schools, how equipped they are to handle storage and the types of food to be distributed.

According to the study, food suppliers prepare meals and store them in the schools although the schools are not designed to provide this service. The committee found that the officials do not abide by health regulations, which irks the parents.

Being keen to provide healthy food, the committee focused on main points to be adopted providing different types of cost effective foods ranging between one and four riyals to meet students’ financial ability. The committee will follow up with the school operators to review the costs of the meals to ensure they conform to the students’ ability. In addition, the SEC has published a guide for the operators to enable them select healthy meals and arrange daily supervision on the food and the cost.

The SEC added that the qualification to cater is not limited to specific companies but includes any qualified party interested to provide this service directly or through the school authorities. The SEC officials confirm that the schools have the right to request for amendments to the food or the cost if the students are not satisfied with either.

The SEC terminated the contracts of all the food suppliers last October to give them time to provide better services that would better serve the students’ health and allowances.