As school canteens here evolve, stallholders find ways to cope

Some take on non-cooking roles under new systems, others switch schools or retire

- Elisha Tushara Correspondent

Over the last 25 years, Madam Amidah Sufaat, 71, has started her day at the crack of dawn, preparing meals for pupils at West View Primary School.

"Old students of the school still remember me. I have also catered for some of their weddings because they like my food so much," she said.

Soon, the aroma of her fried chicken will no longer waft through the canteen during recess. The school will be switching to a central kitchen model in 2026, catering from Chang Cheng Mee Wah Food Ind.

Instead of queueing up in front of different canteen stalls, pupils will pick up pre-ordered meals from automated meal dispensers.

Madam Amidah will be joining the new vendor, not as a cook but helping with the logistics when the food trays arrive at the school every morning.

"I will miss serving the teachers and the children my food, but the student numbers have fallen over the years," she said.

When the school still operated with two sessions, there were more than 2,000 pupils to serve each school day. But since it switched to a single session in 2016, the number has dwindled to about 900.

Madam Amidah is one of a number of school canteen vendors preparing to step aside as 13 schools transition to a centralised meal service from next January.

While the move is aimed at cutting queueing time and easing manpower challenges, it also marks the end of an era for many longtime stallholders who have cooked for generations of students.

Many of these schools are assisting their canteen vendors with navigating their future options. At some schools, a few stallholders, like Madam Amidah, will be employed under the new central kitchen model.