Hwa Chong teacher warns students against sharing bento photos after backlash: 'We know what the consequences are'
A text message sent in a Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) class chat warned students against sharing photos of canteen bento meals online, following criticism over school meals provided by airline caterer SATS.
In response to Stomp's queries, the school said that the reminder was not meant to discourage students from offering feedback through appropriate channels.
Students advised to 'keep your opinion to yourself'
Photos of the bento sets surfaced on the subreddit r/singapore on Jan 3, showing a large portion of rice with vegetables and what looked like meat submerged in sauce. On Facebook, netizens compared the meals to prison food and army cookhouse meals.
After initial complaints, an HCI spokesperson told Stomp that the photos did not accurately reflect the typical food offerings or portion standards provided. However, The Straits Times reported that students confirmed the images were accurate, adding that the meals tasted bland or soggy.
Another post shared by Facebook user @Kuanyewism on Jan 8, showed a message sent at 1.51pm advising students to refrain from participating in the "canteen food controversy".
"Please do not circulate photos, messages and social media posts — we know what the consequences are," the message read. "Keep your opinion to yourself."
The sender added that students require parental and school consent to be interviewed by the media, concluding: "For your compliance please".
HCI student speaks out
A Reddit post by the user @Hopeful-Calendar9369, who identified themselves as a current HCI student, said that the administration was unwilling to entertain students' concerns.
The claims were posted on the subreddit r/SGExams on the same day that the text was sent, saying that students "receive generic responses or outright dismissal" when they raise issues, to which several commenters agreed.
In October 2025, HCI announced that SATS would operate both their high school and college canteens from Jan 2, providing freshly cooked meals from on-site stalls and pre-packed options prepared in a central kitchen.
The institution is also one of 13 schools engaging external food operators to replace traditional canteen stallholders.
Stomp has reached out to Hopeful-Calendar9369 for comment.
'Not meant to discourage students': HCI
An HCI spokesperson confirmed that the school is aware of the text message and that it was sent out of concern for students' wellbeing.
"The reminder was not meant to discourage students from sharing their views or offering feedback through appropriate channels, nor were any students penalised or reprimanded for voicing their opinions," the spokesperson said, adding that students are encouraged to share their thoughts directly with the school so that concerns can be addressed constructively.
HCI did not respond to queries about the tone of the message or the "consequences" referred to in it.
'Overbearing' and 'threatening': Netizens
Commenters on the Jan 8 Reddit post about the text message were outraged, slamming the sender's tone as "overbearing" and "threatening".
Others said students were silenced, arguing that they had a right to share their opinions. One even remarked that the situation felt "less like a school and more like a training camp".
"Just food image sharing kena [sic] advise until like that. I thought it's like leaking school secret info. Joke la [sic] really," one netizen commented.
"Students, keep sharing such info to [sic] the public. Parents as well. Don't be intimidated. It is their health and wellbeing that's affected here," another said.
Another Reddit thread by the user @Single-Character287 alleged that nine students were punished with five demerit points for reporting food quality issues to Lianhe Zaobao, citing a screenshot from an HCI parents' WeChat group.
An HCI spokesperson has denied these claims, stressing that no students were penalised for voicing their opinions.
Editor's note: HCI has clarified that the text was sent by a teacher. The story has been updated to reflect this.
