DepEd issues new rules for operation of school canteens

The Department of Education (DepEd) wants canteens in public schools to be healthy both in the food they offer and in their finances.

The elimination of financial disputes between principals and teachers over canteen operations is one of the goals of a 19-page order issued by Education Secretary Florencio Abad.

To give teachers an additional source of income, the department handed over the operation of canteens in public schools to teacher cooperatives in 1996.

Under the new rules, a principal has only 30 days to approve or disapprove a Memorandum of Agreement after the teachers furnish her with a copy of the MOA.

Otherwise, the MOA lapses into effect.

Another goal of the order is to "eliminate malnutrition, which affects the academic performance" of students.

The order authorizes principals to audit the financial report of a canteen run by a teacher cooperative to ensure that 20 percent of its profits are remitted to the school to defray the costs of the school’s feeding program.

To encourage competition and improve the quality of service, the order also allows schools with more than 500 students to have more than one canteen. — Sandy Araneta