AL-AHSA — Parents have demanded that school canteens are closed down and replaced with cafeterias under the supervision of the Ministry of Health Affairs, Al-Sharq newspaper reported. These cafeterias should be manned by qualified nutrition supervisors to provide healthy meals to students, they said. Abdulaziz Al-Hemaidi, a parent, said despite repeated calls to improve canteens, students are still complaining about the quality of meals offered in canteens. He said: “These meals lack quality and variety and have limited space to serve students. “The number of booths in canteens is not enough to cater for all students during their short break, and some schools do not allow students to bring their own food from homes.” Abdullah Al-Fehaid, another parent, said schools are not giving enough importance to canteens. “They focus only on filling students' stomachs without giving any consideration to the nutritional requirements of different age groups. “Schools should guide students and discuss the importance of nutrition with them.” He said free school meals were offered during the King Khalid era but this scheme lasted for only five years. The meals had real nutritional value because they were prepared by leading catering companies. Mubarak Al-Sa'adi, another parent, said canteens should be scrapped and replaced by cafeterias. He said: “Specialist nutritionists should man these cafeterias and monitor the quality of meals and hygiene.” He said Japanese schools are equipped with cafeterias manned by nutrition specialists who provide daily cooked meals to students. He also called for longer break times, claiming students do not have enough time to eat their meals. Other parents also agreed that the Ministry of Health Affairs should supervise school cafeterias. In addition, monitoring and unscheduled inspections of canteens should be carried out on a continuous basis, they said.
