Kazan school No.12 doubled the canteen area thanks to major repairs

Thanks to the major repairs of the primary school’s kitchen block, the number of seats has almost doubled. Now children eat in two shifts, which is convenient for teachers, children and staff. All primary schoolchildren are provided with free hot meals; therefore, the school restaurant is one hundred percent full. The canteen design was worked out by the staff of the educational institution and the schoolchildren’s parents. The focus in the interior was put on the Jewish culture, since the school conducts ethno cultural classes. The mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin familiarised himself with the outcomes.

School No.12 in Shigabutdina Marjani Street has two buildings with the canteen in each. In the building for high school students, the kitchen block was renovated in 2022, then the dining hall area raised from 174 to 219 square meters, and the number of seats – from 74 to 102.

This year, the modernisation was performed in the primary school’s canteen. The area of the kitchen block and dining hall grew to 370 sq.m. This was made possible by joining the adjacent cloakroom – one more room was arranged here for eating and conducting events. Thanks to this, it was possible to additionally equip 84 seats – now all children eat in two shifts. Decreasing the traffic and quick feeding the children required increasing the area. All primary schoolchildren are provided with free hot meals, including breakfasts and lunches, therefore, the school restaurant has one hundred percent attendance.

“Since the beginning of the school year, 184 school restaurants have opened in Kazan. It is significant that not only the conditions get better but also the seating capacity goes up. Previously, school No.12 used to have 114 seats, while today there are 198. Along with high-quality nutrition, the conditions for eating are also enhancing,” said mayor Ilsur Metshin. He added that now there are two fully-featured dining halls in the canteen, where children can comfortably have breakfast and lunch.

Although the primary school building itself is relatively new (2012), it had problems with waterproofing. In the rain, the walls and ceilings were flooded – this problem was handled by the beginning of the academic year. Ceilings, walls and floors were also repaired in the canteen, furniture (tables, chairs, sofas) was installed, and hand sinks with mirrors were equipped. Almost all the equipment in the food kitchen block has been updated – ovens, refrigerators, top stoves, etc.

According to Rimma Mukhametshina, Director General of the Department of Food and Social Nutrition of Kazan, the design of the premises was developed by the director, teachers and schoolchildren’s parents. The school studies the Jewish language, culture and values of the people, so the interior is complemented by national elements.

The students from the senior classes assist the employees of the food department to lay the tables. The students on duty have uniforms – aprons and hats in accordance with the SanPiN (Sanitary Rules and Regulations) norms and gloves.

To recap, by 1 September 17 canteens have been renovated in Kazan that made it possible to get 574 additional seats. While modernising the kitchen block for each site, an individual design concept was drawn up. A total of 184 canteens in a restaurant format started operating in the new academic year – this is the indicator the Tatarstan capital has been striving for ten years.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, the department will provide hot meals to 178 thousand schoolchildren, which is 9 thousand more than last year’s figure.