16 September 2013

Tuck shop reforms

| johnboy
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bowl of fruit

Joy Burch has announced the outcomes of the loftily titled “High Level Ministerial Taskforce on Canteens”:

“The 2013-14 ACT Budget committed $200,000 to support our school canteens, and the Taskforce’s report gives us clear direction on how we can use these funds to simplify canteen operations for schools and families,” Ms Burch said.

“The $200,000 for Canteen Grants is to be provided to the ACT Parents’ and Citizens’ Association to support P&C-run canteen services in public schools, promote healthy food choices for students and provide access to an online ordering system.”

The taskforce included representatives from the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens’ Associations, Nutrition Australia ACT, ACT School Canteen Association and Healthy Kids Association.

The introduction of a single online ordering portal for all ACT public schools was something the Council of P&C Associations has strongly advocated. A handful of ACT schools already offer online orders. Other recommendations included:

— The ACT Education and Training Directorate will implement a standard contract for schools entering into agreements with school P&C Associations for the operation of a canteen;

— The Council of P&C Associations, ACT Health and Healthy Kids Association will identify mechanisms to support schools to implement sustainable business practices into their canteens to ensure financial viability to deliver healthy food services.

In addition, the Government will deliver its 2013-14 Budget allocation of $500,000 for the Investing in Healthy Kids Initiative to provide up to two water refill stations in around 40 ACT public schools.

It seems like a lot of high altitude bombing to lob around a measly $200,000.

[Photo by mjmonty CC BY 2.0]

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I would have thought contracting flexischools.com.au would have saved them money on the online presence front…

wildturkeycanoe12:39 pm 16 Sep 13

As I read it, they spent $200,000 getting canteens an email address and or website with the menu. Our local PS already has a facebook page, surely this can already be used to perform part of this function!
Then they appear to want to spend another half a million to install 2 taps at each of 40 public schools. You can pick up these filtered water coolers for around $1500 for the most expensive units, yet they deem $6250 an appropriate figure for supply and installation. Some plumbers and electricians will get a nice creamy little contract…..
Pleeeeease give me a job on one of these taskforces so the taxpayer can get some serious benefits and not just wastage.

For those unaware… most canteens in the past depended on volunteers, but school time volunteers nowdays are pretty rare (those women wanting to work!). Even where there are the volunteers, they dont have the expertise required to run a food service.

And running canteens on an individual basis is not commercially viable.

If we are to keep the canteen – which, to be honest, is of no great concern to me – but if we are to keep them then the structure needs to be radically altered. Whether through a single operation providing all canteens or otherwise; this was the purpose of the consultation.

So, a “taskforce” which cost probably at least $200k has awarded $200k for doing the obvious or not needed anyway.

Must admit that I come from an era when the notion of a “taskforce” (!) on school canteens would have been greeted with hoots of laughter.

ACT Government: Keeping taxes high so that school lunches and people’s sex lives are given top priority.

muscledude_oz said :

I have heard rumours that bread is banned in school canteens. Is this true? Bread is mostly a healthy food and has been called the staff of life. I eat bread and – as everybody knows – my body is fricken’ awesome 😀

Yeah, but it might contain traces of nuts.

muscledude_oz10:05 am 16 Sep 13

I have heard rumours that bread is banned in school canteens. Is this true? Bread is mostly a healthy food and has been called the staff of life. I eat bread and – as everybody knows – my body is fricken’ awesome 😀

And there was I thinking that this was a reformed moderator’s lunch review, when I saw the photo.

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