5. Visit to the canteen at the Schiller School in Münsingen

On 25 April, some of our team made their way to the canteen at the Schillerschule community school in Münsingen. Unlike all the other canteens we visited, here pupils cook for pupils. As part of the elective subject Everyday Culture, Nutrition and Social Affairs (AES), the 9th graders of the G-level (Hauptschule) cook for the pupils of the Schillerschule. An inclusion worker is also involved in cooking in the canteen. He spends four days a week in the canteen and one day in a workspace and is warmly welcomed by the pupils. The tasks include planning and preparing the meals, but also serving the food, tidying up and dishwashing afterwards. The work in the canteen is part of the lessons and is also graded. At the end of the school year, a grade is given based on the points collected. The pupils are supervised by a teacher specialised in home economics. Meat is cooked twice a week and vegetarian dishes are served twice a week. There is also dessert and a salad bar. Students can also get free water. Visiting the canteen is voluntary, but the food must be ordered in advance for better calculation, but it can be cancelled until 10 a.m. on the day itself. The canteen is also popular beyond the school. The after-school care centre of the neighbouring school and other groups of people also come to eat in the canteen. Around 70-100 lunches are sold per day. To avoid leftovers, small portions are served first. A free refill is then possible. Food that is not served is distributed to the pupils afterwards so that nothing has to be thrown away. By cooking independently, the pupils learn to appreciate food. Designing posters as well as small quizzes and discussions during cooking helps to raise pupils' awareness of sustainable and healthy eating.

The younger pupils from year 6 also help with the practical work. As part of the school company, they organise a break time sale of homemade pizza rolls on Wednesdays.

We are impressed by the opportunity for the pupils to be involved in running the canteen and by the commitment of the teacher, who takes on a great amount of responsibility every day.