For many Singaporean adults, memories of school recess are still surprisingly vivid. The daily question of what to eat, counting coins carefully, learning how to queue properly, and sitting with friends to finish a meal before the bell rang. For many of us, the school canteen was the first place where we learnt how to make small money decisions on our own.
Unfortunately, our children may not have the same experience.
Across Singapore, school canteen culture is facing a quiet but serious decline. Much like hawker culture, many long-time stallholders are retiring, while fewer new operators are willing to take over.
Why School Canteens Are Struggling To Survive
The underlying problem is not difficult to understand.
Canteen vendors are expected to keep prices affordable for students. Food must meet strict nutritional guidelines, cover the main food groups, and still be appealing to young customers. At the same time, operating hours are short, preparation time is long, and outsiders are not allowed in. Without changes, it is hard to see how school canteens can remain economically viable in the long run.
If we want to preserve canteen culture, the solution cannot rely solely on nostalgia. The business model needs to make sense.
#1 Encourage Schools To Prioritise In-House Catering
Most schools organise events throughout the year. These range from festive celebrations and staff workshops, to enrichment programmes after school and school outings that require food.
Instead of defaulting to external caterers, schools could be encouraged to order from their own canteen stallholders first. External vendors would still be used for very large-scale events or when in-house vendors are unavailable, such as during school holidays. But for routine activities, in-house stalls should be the first option.
For stallholders, this creates an additional source of income that does not depend solely on daily student traffic. Importantly, this revenue comes from school budgets rather than students’ pockets.
For schools, it is also operationally simpler. They already know their own vendors and understand their food quality and standards. Over time, this approach helps keep canteen businesses viable without raising food prices for students.
#2 Open Selected School Canteens To The Public During Evenings Or Weekends
Opening school canteens to the public will not be suitable for every school.
There will be (and should be) security concerns for primary schools or campuses with limited space and logistical challenges. However, bigger secondary schools and junior colleges could be ideal starting points.
This could be done on a limited basis, such as specific evenings or weekends when there are no students around. The aim is not to turn school canteens into full-scale hawker centres, but to allow stallholders to reach nearby residents during hours when the school would otherwise be empty.
For operators, longer operating hours and public access significantly improve business viability and give their stalls greater visibility and reach. For nearby residents, it adds convenience and more food options. For schools, it mirrors existing arrangements where sports facilities are already open to the public, making better use of public infrastructure.
#3 Use School Canteens As Trial Spaces For Aspiring Hawkers
For many aspiring hawkers, the biggest barriers are high startup costs and the risk of committing to long leases before knowing whether a concept will work.
School canteens could serve as a bridge, providing a lower-risk entry point for new hawkers who are not confident enough to commit to a multi-year lease. Under a structured programme, stalls could be offered at subsidised rent, or even rent-free, with support such as shared suppliers or basic equipment. In return, operators gain real-world experience running a food business in a regulated environment.
On its own, this may not be attractive enough. But when combined with school event catering and limited public access, the economics become more realistic. Instead of being dead ends, school canteens become stepping stones for the next generation of food operators.
#4 Support Regular Community And Grassroots Events Through School Canteens
Schools are often at the heart of their neighbourhoods. Community events, volunteer activities, and grassroots programmes regularly require simple and affordable meals.
A recent example highlighted how the Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, Baey Yam Keng, asked volunteers and home-based businesses to help prepare meals for Meet-the-People Sessions at a budget. It showed that community events can also benefit from ad hoc food arrangements.
Nearby school canteens could play a more consistent role here. Meals for grassroots meetings, community dialogues, or volunteer appreciation events could be prepared by school canteen operators during off-peak hours.
For stallholders, this creates a steady supplementary income stream. For communities, food is prepared in regulated kitchens by experienced operators. For schools, it strengthens their role as a community hub rather than a space that goes quiet after dismissal time.
Preserving More Than Just Food
Not every idea above will work for every school. Some will find them easier to implement, while others may find them infeasible. Beyond these ideas, there may be other solutions that support canteen stall operators in schools.
The point here is that if we genuinely want to preserve school canteen culture, doing nothing is not an option.
This is not just about food. It is about giving future students the same small but formative experiences many of us remember. Learning to budget a few dollars. Choosing what to eat. Sitting with friends and talking about which stalls have the best food as opposed to just eating whatever is being served that day by external caterers.
To keep that alive, running a school canteen must make financial sense for the people behind the stalls. Without that, no amount of fond memories will be enough.
Read Also: Pocket Money For Children: How It’s Changed Over The Past 20 Years
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