We all know the importance of school canteen uncles and aunties; they’re not just stallholders but occasionally, they became our BGR advisors, our listening ears and sometimes our partner-in-crime when we need to ponteng school.
Oh, your canteen uncle didn’t help you ponteng school before? Then you must’ve been a teacher’s pet.
Sometimes, we even organized goodbye parties for the uncle who’s been selling overcooked noodles, because school’s not just about learning about maths and science.
So when this story broke, I’m sure it’ll strike a nerve. Or two. Or many nerves.
Elderly Who Sold Drinks in Sch Left When Told Not to Sell Cold Drinks; Vending Machine Appeared Soon
Now, before you start a petition in change.org, do note that everything mentioned here are allegations; there could have been hidden facts that weren’t disclosed.
So try to be objective even if you miss that canteen auntie of yours.
Two days ago—
Reader Bao: Eh, Siao Eh, too late, Bro. Got petition in change.org liao.
Oh, that’s fast.
But anyways, here’s what happened: two days ago, a Facebook user posted this:
Lest you can’t read, here’s what is written:
Please share this.. It only takes awhile..
My grandaunt has worked in Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) school canteen selling drinks since 1950s until 2019. As for my mum, she being helping my grandaunt since 2004/5.
My grandaunt spend her entire life working at the school. Waking up early to prepare and head to school to sell drinks to the students, teachers and visitors. Even most of the time, when the school has an event she’s almost always there to sell her drinks.
In June 2019, she was asked to make a decision if she would like to continue to hold onto the stall or not. But unfortunately she could only sell plain water and it can’t be cold water because the management said so. And that she have to share the stall with another vendor.
Even if the prices of the drinks rises, she still sells it at the same price for the students. Because she love being surrounded by the students. I remember from time to time she would be extremely happy like when students give her cards and ex-students come back to visit her. All this small gestures she love it even though she don’t say it much.
When the last day of school in November 2019, she officially closed her stall.
But the funny thing is that after closing her stall, the school started to in store vending machine and sell drinks.
Also, the government say that our elderly parents and grandparent should continue to keep them active. But to me it seems like it is an excuse of just selling room temperature water but because she’s old. And because of that she been insomnia since the day they asked her to decide which was in June 2019.
She have seen the school gone through so much changes but ended up this way.. why is that so???
Update: To add on, beside only room temperature water, she can only sell hot beverages.
2nd update: please refer to the comment of an image or to my Facebook story.
#scgs #singaporechinesegirlsschool #singaporestory #singapore
And this is the image she’s referring to:
For those of you who has tl;dr syndrome, here’s a summary of the allegation:
- Elderly has been selling drinks in the school since 1950s
- Last year, she was told that she could only sell room temperature and hot drinks
- She would also need to share the stall with another vendor
- The elderly decided to call it quits even though she likes to help students ponteng interacting with students
- After her stall closed, a vending machine appeared
Now, it should be noted that at no point did the school ask the elderly to leave, and there’s no confirmation on whether the vending machine stocks cold drinks (though drinking a room-temperature 100PLUS is a bigly sin).
Before you go sign the petition, do read on.
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Canteen Auntie Replaced by Vending Machine or is it Just…Healthy Meals in Schools Programme
If you’re old as me, you’d not know about this.
Back in the days when my head was smaller than my current belly, stallholders can anyhowly sell anything to us: from fried food to soft drinks.
But now, it’s different.
Since 2011, some canteen stall operators had to serve yucky healthier food, like brown rice and wholemeal bread. And from 2017, all mainstream schools must follow this guideline.
It’s of course unknown if the elderly was hit by this new guideline.
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In the meantime, do you also know that army cookhouse has the same guideline as well?
We sure are getting healthier.