SCHOOL canteens were in chaos yesterday and around one in three children went hungry during their break due to confusion over the euro. Primary school children were the biggest losers, unable to cope with receiving change in euros and in working out how much they had to pay for their sandwiches.
And because break times at school are usually only ten or 15 minutes around one third of children did not get served their snacks due to the confusion. Canteen owners had warned there would be problems on the first day back at school. Although they have dual pricing lists since last September where prices are worked out exactly in euros, they wanted rounded prices for convenience sake.
CyBC television yesterday sent cameras to record the reaction of some primary school pupils to what was happening. Of the several children interviewed none seemed able to cope.
One child said a euro was worth 20 Cyprus cents. Another thought his sandwich cost €85.
It was the fiddling around with small euro cent coins that caused most of the delays along with the confusion of the children who were clearly not up to speed on the euro.
“Unfortunately I have to confess that from the phone calls I received from all over Cyprus, many pupils – maybe one third – were not served today because of the euro,” said Ioannis Charalambous the president of the Canteen Owners Association.
Charalambous said there had been a deal with the Finance Ministry that the prices would be rounded once the euro was adopted, and new price lists issued to the canteens. The dual pricing list is based on exact conversion which often involves using the tiny 1 and 2 cent euro coins.
“It was decided the prices would be rounded,” said Charlalmbous. ‘We didn’t mind whether it would be up or down.” He said in some cases items could be rounded up and in other cases down to balance out but rounding was needed so that the pupils could be served quickly during the short break. “Everyone went today with these small cents and you can imagine the hassle because some of them were also giving in Cyprus cents and it was impossible to serve everyone,” said Charalambous. He said the problem was widespread at schools across the island.
“I would say that around one in three pupils were not served. You can imagine that on a 10-15 minute break, until you give the change from Cyprus pounds into euros and until you finds all those small coins…,” said Charalambous.
The head of the Watchdog Committee for canteens, Charalambos Constantinou said the rounding of canteen prices would be decided after the Cyprus pound was withdrawn from the market at the end of this month.
“I would like to remind people that from August 31 we asked all schools to implement the dual pricing list,” he said.
“We cannot accept anyone saying there is no price list and it would be rather risky while we are at the stage of using two currencies not to apply the exact prices. The issue will be re-examined when the Cyprus pound is withdrawn”.
Constantinou said he could see why the prices needed to be rounded but the rounding would be decided by the Committee, he said. In the meantime, pupils should receive their exact change.
Asked about the short breaks as a factor, Constantinou said: “I think that is where the problem originates, and the speed at which the canteen owners have to serve the children.
“This is something we are prepared to look at,” he added. “But the price list has been there since summer. It will be re-evaluated only in euros, and the prices will be decided by the committee.”
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