فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
During the plenary session of the House of Representatives, a sensitive issue regarding the health and safety of students in Morocco was raised. MP Nadia Benzendafa questioned the quality of meals provided in school canteens, calling for accountability to ensure improvements in this critical sector. Minister of Education Mohamed Saad Barada responded by highlighting the role of school canteens in supplying meals, particularly in rural areas, benefiting approximately 111,000 students through 524 school canteens. He added that the government has allocated a budget of 1.6 billion dirhams to enhance this sector, emphasizing the need for continuous evaluation to ensure meal quality.
However, MP Benzendafa found the minister’s response insufficient to meet her expectations. She issued sharp criticisms, urging immediate intervention to monitor and improve the standard of meals served in school canteens, including boarding facilities. Benzendafa pointed to recurring cases of food poisoning in several boarding schools and described “shameful images” shared with the public that depict poor food quality. She stressed that students in boarding schools are often subjected to meals unfit for the standard of service expected in educational institutions, jeopardizing their health and academic performance.
In this context, the MP posed pressing questions about the outsourcing of school canteens to private companies, warning that such arrangements must be accompanied by strict oversight mechanisms to ensure high-quality food services. Benzendafa described the current situation as “painful,” asserting that children are being deprived of their right to proper nutrition, a violation of the principles of social justice and equal opportunities enshrined in the Moroccan constitution.
source : fesnews media
