Hanoi Proposes Raising School Lunch Fee Ceiling

Hanoi is considering a proposal to raise the maximum fee for school lunches for kindergarten and general education students. This proposal is based on a review of the actual situation, food ingredient costs, and related reasonable expenses, aiming to ensure the safety and quality of meals for students. The city authorities are proceeding with a realistic assessment of the costs associated with improving the school lunch provision system. In the past, Hanoi City established four interdisciplinary inspection teams to strengthen the management of the school lunch provision system. These efforts are part of ongoing initiatives to ensure students can receive safe and high-quality meals at school. Under Vietnam's one-party system, policy decisions in the education sector are led by the central and local governments. With economic growth, alongside improvements in the standard of living, investments in education and demands for quality are increasing. Raising the school lunch fee ceiling can be considered a measure to meet these social expectations while ensuring the sustainability of school operations. Furthermore, recent inflationary trends and global food price hikes may also have influenced this review. Although Vietnam has strong economic ties with China, domestic price trends directly impact people's lives, forcing the government to make cautious decisions.