School Responds to Claims of Reduced Lunch Portions at Prominent Elementary School
Recently,parent groups from Dark Rock posted a photo of a school lunch on Facebook,claiming it was a meal served to students at Panchu-chu-chu Elementary School,known as “the most famous school in Bunma Tu.” The meal, consisting of rice, fried vegetables, soup, steamed eggs, and chopped meat, was deemed by many to be small in portion size considering the 37,000 dong (VND) parents pay. This sparked suspicion that the school was reducing meal quantities.
In an interview with a reporter, Nguyen Thi Tuyet, the principal of Phan Chu Trinh Elementary School, stated that the school has reported the incident to the Buon Ma Thuot Zone People’s Committee and the Dak Lak Training Department (DEC).
Tuyet confirmed that the meal photo circulating on social media was taken by medical staff and shared in the school’s Zalo group on September 15th. The intention was to highlight positive feedback – students had reportedly praised the meal as “very flavorful.”
“The picture is a school meal, but the accompanying content is untrue,” Tuyet explained. “The photo was taken by a student while eating, and then shared by school staff.”
According to Tuyet, the claim of a 37,000 dong meal cost is inaccurate. The school collects a dormitory fee of 820,000 dong per month, broken down as 570,000 dong for meals and 250,000 dong for learning materials.
This fee structure translates to lunch costs ranging from 15,000 to 31,000 dong depending on the menu, with an additional 5,000 to 9,500 dong allocated for a glass of milk as an afternoon snack.
“the meal price on September 15th, as shown in the social media post, was not 37,000 dong, but over 22,000 dong. This misinformation led to a misunderstanding among local residents regarding the school’s dormitory fees.”
Following the complaints regarding reduced meal portions, the school has requested the intervention of the police.
School in Vietnam Investigated After Parents Complain of reduced Student Meals
Following complaints from parents regarding reduced meal portions, authorities in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, have launched an investigation into the Chu Chu Steamed Rice elementary School. The school administration reportedly involved the police in response to the parental concerns.
According to a report by Dantri Online, the issue came to light recently, prompting a surprise inspection of the school’s kitchen and food distribution processes by the Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Education and Training. https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/bi-phan-nan-cat-xen-suat-an-cua-hoc-sinh-nha-truong-moi-cong-an-vao-cuoc-20250929132019998.htm
The Dak Lak Department of Education and Training had previously issued guidelines at the start of the school year emphasizing food safety and adherence to proper meal provisions for boarding students. These guidelines are intended to ensure students receive adequate nutrition.
To increase transparency and parental oversight, the Ministry of Education and Training is developing a digital request. This app will require all boarding schools to publicly post details about food supplies, costs, and meal distribution on their websites, linking this information to the education department’s system. according to officials, this will allow parents to easily monitor their children’s nutrition and compare meal provisions across different schools.
The Deputy director of the dak Lak Department of Education and Training stressed that any school found to be violating food safety regulations, reducing meal portions, or failing to maintain adequate hygiene standards will face strict disciplinary action against the school principal.
This incident highlights the growing concern over food quality and transparency in Vietnamese schools, and the commitment of authorities to address these issues.