The Ministry of Education has ordered schools countrywide to stop the sale of foodstuffs in their respective canteens, citing health reasons. In an interview with The New Times, on Monday the headmaster of Kagarama Secondary School, in Kicukiro District, Sam Nkurunziza, said the order came into force at the beginning of this term. He said some parents who were unhappy with the decision have withdrawn their children from the boarding section. "The decision was quite unfair because we have students with health problems like those who have ulcers and it’s very challenging to deal with such issues since they are no longer allowed to buy foodstuffs at the school canteen,” Nkurunziza said. The head teacher of Lycee de Kigali, Martin Masabo, also confirmed that his school’s canteen now only sells inedible products like scholastic materials, adding that all students are entitled to only eat from the school’s dining hall. "Having a variety of edible products at school canteens has been enabling students not to go out of school in search of snacks but as time goes, we shall be able to adapt the new system from the Ministry of Education,” Masabo said. The State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Mathias Harebamungu, told The New Times that the decision was reached in partnership with the Parents/Teachers Associations (PTAs) across the country.