Financially disadvantaged students will have first dibs in taking home leftover food from school cafeterias, the Ministry of Education said yesterday, but parents groups warned the gesture might embarrass students and discourage parents from being self-sufficient.
Fu Wei-wei (
"Although school lunches are not given free to students, a large portion of it is being subsidized by the ministry and other civic groups. Therefore it is only fair that leftover food is offered to students first before the school gives it away to others," Fu said.
The ministry also said that leftover food must be kept in a clean refrigerated area before the students are allowed to take it home in the evenings.
Cooked food and raw food must also be separated to prevent contamination, Fu said.
In response, the National Alliance of Parents Organization said the policy could go awry if not executed in a manner that protects student privacy and dignity.
"We all know that students care a lot about saving face. Some students might be too embarrassed to take home the leftovers, especially if their peers know about it," said the alliance's Lin Wen-hu (林文虎).
Fu said that some schools, out of concern for student dignity, will put the food in the kitchen instead of handing it out in class. Students can get their portion whenever they want and in their own time.
Lin also warned that the ministry must ascertain that students who are allowed to take home school leftover food are truly needy to guard against lazy or irresponsible parents.
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