SINGAPORE – Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) has refuted a claim made on social media platform Reddit that its students were punished for speaking to the media about their canteen food.
HCI said on Jan 9 that no students had been penalised, issued demerit points or reprimanded for voicing their opinions on the issue.
Meals provided by airline caterer SATS for HCI students on the first day of school had sparked some criticism, after images of the bento sets were posted online on Jan 3.
A Reddit post on Jan 9 claimed that nine students had been given demerit points for speaking to the media about the new food options.
It shared a screenshot of a message reminding students not to participate in the “canteen food controversy” and circulate photos, messages and social media posts.
“We know what the consequences are,” the message said, adding that students would need parental and school consent to be interviewed by the media.
HCI said it is aware of a message shared in a class chat, which was “sent out of concern for our students’ well-being while reminding students to be responsible in their online activities”.
“The reminder was not meant to discourage students from sharing their views or offering feedback through appropriate channels, nor were any students penalised or reprimanded for voicing their opinions,” said an HCI spokeswoman.
She said the school values its students’ perspectives and encourages them to share their thoughts directly with the school so that concerns can be addressed constructively.
“The school will continue working closely with teachers to ensure that messages to students are conveyed clearly,” she said.
Any media engagement involving students is coordinated with the school and parents to safeguard their well-being, she added.
Since the start of the 2026 school year, HCI has worked with SATS to run its high school and college canteens under a hybrid model that combines freshly cooked meals from on-site stalls with pre-packed options prepared daily in a central kitchen.
Under the new system, the school’s 4,300 students and staff can pre-order bento sets through an app, as well as buy meals and desserts from four stalls on campus offering options such as Indian fusion, Chinese cuisine and soft-serve yogurt.
The system was implemented in response to feedback from students about long recess queues, and to address the challenge the school’s nine food stalls and one drink stall had faced in 2025 to keep prices affordable amid rising prices of ingredients as they operate independently.
HCI had said the hybrid model ensures students continue to have access to balanced, reasonably priced meals that meet their nutritional needs and dietary preferences amid manpower constraints affecting school canteen operations. It had consulted students, staff and parents through assemblies, meetings and food-tasting sessions before switching to the new model.
SATS conducted a food-tasting event in 2024 for about 200 participants – students, teachers and parents – from both the high school and college.
SATS has been catering for Yusof Ishak Secondary School since 2022, in a pilot that the Education Ministry said led to the expansion of the central kitchen model to more schools in 2026.
- Shermaine Ang is a journalist at The Straits Times, covering social issues in Singapore.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment