Maintaining Healthy Canteens in Schools Circular 03/2026 – Ministry of Education
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Maintaining Healthy Canteens in Schools
School Canteen Circular 2026
පාසල් තුළ සෞඛ්යාරක්ෂිත ආපනශාලා පවත්වා ගෙන යාම
பாடசாலைகளில் சுகாதாரப் பாதுகாப்பான முறையில் சிற்றுண்டிச்சாலைகளைப் பராமரித்தல்
Main Details
About the Circular
The Ministry of Education has issued this circular regarding the maintenance of healthy canteens in schools. This circular supersedes the previous Circular No. 35/2015 dated 31.12.2015.
The circular highlights the importance of providing nutritious, clean and safe food to school students, promoting healthy eating habits, maintaining hygiene standards, and preventing the sale and promotion of unhealthy food items within school canteens and school premises.
Expected Outcomes
- Providing nutritious and clean food to school students.
- Promoting healthy eating habits and behaviours among students.
- Increasing the percentage of students with proper nutritional status.
- Reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases among school students.
- Sharing correct eating habit messages through the school community.
Four Main Areas Mentioned
- Maintaining the school canteen and premises to the required standards.
- Proper management and supervision.
- Human resource management.
- Providing healthy and nutritious food.
Canteen and Premises Standards
- The canteen should be safe, clean, well-lit and ventilated.
- Food prices should be clearly displayed.
- Clean drinking water and hand washing facilities should be available.
- Waste bins should be covered and properly colour-coded.
- Food should be purchased, transported, stored, prepared and served hygienically.
- Expired food or ingredients should not be stored or sold.
- Cooked food and raw food should be stored separately.
Proper Management and Supervision
The circular explains that the School Development Society, Principal, School Food Committee, teachers, students, school community and education authorities are responsible for maintaining healthy school canteens.
- The School Food Committee should monitor canteen activities.
- Canteen monitoring reports should be submitted to relevant authorities.
- The committee should meet once every two months.
- Inspections and follow-up actions should be carried out regularly.
- Non-compliant canteens may be warned, corrected or closed according to instructions.
Canteen Rating According to H1306
- Grade A: Exemplary canteen – 75 points or more.
- Grade B: Conditions must be improved within 3 months – 61 to 74 points.
- Grade C: Relevant officials will take steps to close the school canteen – 60 points and below.
Human Resource Management
- Canteen staff should receive proper training and awareness.
- Medical examinations and health certification are required.
- Food handlers should maintain personal hygiene.
- Clean clothes, aprons, head coverings and face masks should be used.
- Jewellery, rings, watches and bandages should not be worn while handling food.
- Use of betel, cigarettes, alcohol or other drugs is prohibited within the canteen premises.
Foods to Promote Daily
- Rice, milk rice, pongal rice, pittu, string hoppers, hoppers and roti.
- Vegetable stew, upma, boiled pulses, vegetable curry and salads.
- Egg, tuna, vegetable sandwiches and healthy wraps.
- Fruits, fruit kebabs and mixed fruit cups without added sugar or salt.
- Chickpeas, fermented milk, low-sugar waffles and natural drinks.
- Water, fresh liquid milk, soups and fresh fruit juice with low sugar or no added salt.
Foods Prohibited in School Canteens and School Premises
- Highly processed meats and fish such as sausages, meatballs, bacon and ham.
- Fast food items such as burgers, hotdogs, submarines and pizza.
- Sugary buns, pastries, deep-fried snacks and salty chips.
- Instant noodles, soup cubes, seasoning powders and instant soups.
- Ice packs, ice palms, jellies, cakes, puddings and high-sugar desserts.
- Carbonated drinks, energy drinks, flavoured milk/yogurt drinks and artificial fruit drinks.
- Ultra-processed foods and foods with little nutritional value.
සිංහල සාරාංශය
අධ්යාපන අමාත්යාංශය විසින් පාසල් ආපනශාලා සෞඛ්ය සම්පන්නව පවත්වාගෙන යාම පිළිබඳ චක්රලේඛ අංක 03/2026 නිකුත් කර ඇත. මෙම චක්රලේඛය මඟින් පාසල් සිසුන්ට පිරිසිදු, ආරක්ෂිත සහ පෝෂණීය ආහාර ලබාදීම, සෞඛ්ය සම්පන්න ආහාර පුරුදු ප්රවර්ධනය කිරීම, ආපනශාලා පිරිසිදුකම, කළමනාකරණය, අධීක්ෂණය සහ අහිතකර ආහාර අලෙවිය තහනම් කිරීම පිළිබඳ උපදෙස් ලබාදී ඇත.
தமிழ் சுருக்கம்
கல்வி அமைச்சினால் பாடசாலை உணவகங்களை ஆரோக்கியமாக பராமரிப்பதற்கான சுற்றறிக்கை இலக்கம் 03/2026 வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. மாணவர்களுக்கு சுத்தமான, பாதுகாப்பான மற்றும் சத்தான உணவுகளை வழங்குதல், ஆரோக்கியமான உணவுப் பழக்கங்களை மேம்படுத்துதல், உணவக சுகாதாரம், முகாமைத்துவம், கண்காணிப்பு மற்றும் ஆரோக்கியமற்ற உணவுப் பொருட்களின் விற்பனையைத் தடைசெய்தல் தொடர்பான வழிகாட்டல்கள் இதில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளன.
Click Below for Circular and Guide Book
පාසල් ආපනශාලා චක්රලේඛය සහ මාර්ගෝපදේශ පොත
பாடசாலை உணவக சுற்றறிக்கை மற்றும் வழிகாட்டி நூல்
Source: Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Circular No. 03/2026
