A mother was surprised to discover the high prices at her daughter’s school canteen after her daughter repeatedly complained that RM4 in daily pocket money was not enough.
According to a post on Xiaohongshu, a student, who is a first-grader, reflected that she had been struggling to manage with the small allowance, prompting the mother to investigate further.
Noodles priced as high as RM3
Curious about her daughter’s claims, the mother visited the school canteen during a recent parent-teacher day and was shocked to find that a bowl of noodles was priced at RM3, almost equivalent to prices at local coffee shops.
The price list captured by the mother showed that meals such as rice and noodles were priced at RM3 per portion, with larger portions of mixed rice costing RM4.50, and smaller portions at RM4.
It is also worth noting that the list shows tea priced at RM1, whereas a cup of Chinese tea is typically worth only 60 sen.
Netizens’ reaction
Many netizens responded to the post, agreeing that the prices seemed steep.
Some remarked that the canteen prices were indeed high, while others pointed out that the RM1 price for a cup of tea was more expensive than at outside coffee shops, where the same drink could be found for 80 cents.
“Tea costs one ringgit, more expensive than a kopitiam, such a high-class school.”
“I’m not sure if I saw it wrong, but Milo is priced at RM2.60.”
However, a few netizens defended the pricing, arguing that if the food is of good quality, the price could be justified.
“If the food was fresh, tasty, and served in adequate portions, the prices could be justified.”
On the other hand, some netizens highlighted that in certain areas, especially in Chinese primary schools with fewer students, there are limited canteen operators willing to bid for the contract. As a result, canteen prices tend to be higher due to the lack of competition, making it a challenging situation for both the operators and the students.
