ALL primary and junior high schools in the city are required to provide on-campus lunch and noon services for students in need within the next three years, according to a guideline released by the city’s education bureau recently.
The bureau is soliciting public opinions on the guideline.
According to Southern Metropolis Daily, the decision is favored by parents, but many teachers do not welcome the practice as it would require some teachers to sacrifice their noon time.
In China, most schools have a noon break from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. during which students need to leave their school. Currently, only some schools provide lunch and a space for its students to rest during the break.
A resident surnamed Zhong was very pleased and volunteered to help the school roll out the service as soon as possible. “If both parents are employed, it is extremely tiring for parents to pick up their kids and make them lunch,” said Zhong.
However, the guideline requires teachers work extra, although a daily subsidy of 150 yuan (US$23.59) is provided for the teachers on duty.
A public school teacher said the work should be given to professional caretakers as teachers also need to take a break at noon.
According to the guideline, schools are to explore their own management of the services.
The report also addressed difficulties in providing lunch, as many schools don’t have enough space to build a canteen for students. Some schools have chosen to work with third-party restaurants to provide lunch.