The magazine 60 Millions de consommateurs investigated the school canteen system in France and what they discovered regarding prices may well surprise some…
At least once a week, nearly 12.9 million students eat lunch in the school canteen. In these refectories, managed by the municipalities, the catering staff’s mission is to offer students a balanced menu every day, made from sustainable and quality products, meeting a certain number of criteria. Most establishments offer multiple choice menus, with different à la carte dishes. Children therefore have the freedom to choose what they want. But once they have their tray in hand, a question often nags many parents: what is the cost of the meal?
The specialist magazine 60 Million consumers published in its last April issue a vast survey on the state of meals in schools. Among the different points analyzed, there is that of prices. And for good reason, today, canteen costs are largely paid by the competent local authority, but also by the parents of students according to their income. The calculation of the cost of meals is set in advance by the community to which the establishment depends. Some families can also benefit from assistance to finance part or all of their child’s canteen costs.
According to experts from 60 Million consumers, the average cost of a meal is 5.86 euros for town halls and around 3.70 euros for parents. This fixed rate is applied for families in the majority of municipalities. However, looking more closely, disparities exist depending on the region, particularly in the Grand Est region and in Ile-de-France where canteen costs are higher: “respectively 4.90 euros and 4.43 euros”, according to the study.
As for parents who pay a rate according to their family quotient, it is in their best interest to live in a town with more than 5,000 inhabitants, where the annual resources of households are largely taken into account to calculate the contribution to the costs. school canteen. Note that one city stands out from all the others by gradually offering free canteens for all households since 2021. This is Saint-Denis.