The schools with high fees and selective admission policies have poor hygienic standards in their canteens
KARACHI: While recently switching television channels, I came across a show where the host had raided the canteens of some reputable schools in Karachi. These schools have very high standards, high fees, and selective admission policies but at the same time, the standard of their canteens is poor. The owners of these canteens had the audacity to blame the government for the conditions of their canteens. Agreeably, there are some factors where the government is to be blamed, in terms of the state of our city and country, but for keeping ourselves and our workplaces clean, I don’t think the government is required. The canteens were not in a state where one could even stand for a while. Low quality products of chips and biscuits were being sold. Food was kept out in the open and mosquitoes and flies were freely feasting on it. The same food was later served to innocent young children. The ketchup used was actually a rice paste and to give it a red colour, fabric dye had been mixed into it. Imagine the effects of these so-called hygienic foods on the health of the children, who are the future of Pakistan.
It is the responsibility of the school management to keep a check on the quality and standards of their canteens. When they ask for an increment in fees, they promise to provide basic facilities to their students and a hygienic food environment should be a top priority. Keeping our workplaces clean and working sincerely is up to us. The government is not to be blamed. It is high time that we start accepting our mistakes and stop blaming others for our sins.
Afreen Mirza
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2016.
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