Do you want to know the measure of how much a school or college values its students?

Sandwiches.

That’s it. That’s the test. Whether it be classic cheese and pickle (on wholemeal, obviously), a decadent beef, rocket and horseradish or the incomprehensible prawn mayo, sandwiches are the benchmark, the one real litmus test of how much an institution truly cares about those it educates.

(So yes, I may be writing this during my lunch break. And yes, my mind may be a tad preoccupied by the soon-to-be-annihilated BLT that’s sat in front of me on my desk, but bear with me.)

Canteen conditions

Ask any student union rep about the main concerns of members and I’m willing to bet my delicious triple-decker of mayo-covered goodness that canteen conditions will always be there in the top five. It may seem a little bit beside the point in an educational institution that deals with the monumental task of preparing the future workforce, but believe you me, a college marches on its stomach. And also its wallet.

The humble breaded lunch item is the mainstay of college canteens. Now, a lot of the time, those canteens enjoy a somewhat captive market given their convenient location. And it’s the way that a college approaches that captive market that really gives you an insight into an organisation’s mindset - and what it deems to be an acceptable way to treat those who attend.

The quality and price of the ubiquitous midday staple becomes more than just a factor of choice for a quick meal - they are signals of institutional attitude. If a canteen is charging extortionate amounts for a tuna mayo with a bit of old lettuce, what does that say about how it views those buying it (who often don’t have time between sessions to go elsewhere)? Are students simply units to be exploited for as much cash as possible because they lack that choice?  

Quality at a fair price?

If a college really values its faculty and learners, it will ensure quality at a fair price in all things and that includes food. No, it’s not pedagogy, it’s not teaching tech, it’s much more fundamental - sending a signal that a college cares about its community enough not to exploit it, even when it’s fully possible to do so.

So, yeah - sandwiches. They’re important. And not just because I’ve got one sat in front of me waiting to be messily destroyed. They’re a mundane, everyday symbol of what a college really thinks about students and staff. Have a think about that next time they try to charge you £3.50 for an egg salad on wafer-thin value white. Bloody cheek.

Tom Starkey teaches English at a college in the north of England