Hanoi Parents Outraged Over "Meager" 40,000 VND School Lunch

Parents at Trung Gia Primary School in Hanoi have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the school's lunch, priced at 40,000 VND (approximately $1.60 USD) per meal, claiming the portions were meager. Local authorities have immediately terminated the contract with the food supplier. The city provides subsidies for primary school lunches. On the afternoon of September 7, social media platforms were flooded with posts allegedly from parents of Trung Gia Primary School, reacting to the school lunch served that day. According to these reports, the stainless steel lunch trays contained only bean sprouts, minced meat, and a single piece of grilled skewer meat. The cost of this lunch was 40,000 VND, with the city subsidizing 28,000 VND and parents covering the remainder. The posts garnered tens of thousands of interactions, with most comments criticizing the "meager" meal for its price. The school currently has approximately 1,500 students. Responding to VnExpress on the afternoon of September 8, Mr. Nguyen Ba Hoang, Chairman of the Trung Gia Commune People's Committee, stated that following the parents' feedback, the commune has initiated contract termination procedures with the current supplier, expected to be completed by the following morning. Students will have a one-day break from the lunch program on September 9 while the commune finds a new supplier. "This is an undesirable incident. The commune is also very concerned and is handling it with utmost urgency," Mr. Hoang said. He added that the supplier for September 7 had valid legal documentation on the HanoiCheck application, Hanoi's database for school nutrition and food safety. This supplier only provided meals to Trung Gia Primary School, with the food prepared elsewhere and transported to the school. To prevent recurrence, Mr. Hoang announced that the new supplier will be required to submit invoices every morning, and there will be supervision from parents, the commune, and the school. Currently, over 633,000 primary school students in Hanoi (both public and private) receive a daily subsidy of 28,000 VND for their lunches. Students from policy-affected families receive a higher subsidy of 40,000 VND. This year marks the first time the city has used the HanoiCheck application, allowing parents and schools to search for eligible lunch suppliers. The selection of suppliers has been delegated to communes and wards, a shift from previous school-led initiatives. Information Source: VnExpress