What's in the 14,000 and 17,000 VND boarding meals at Quang Tri village school?

In the first days of the school year, while many poor quality boarding meals are causing public outrage, two village schools in Quang Tri still maintain boarding meals of 14,000 and 17,000 VND while still ensuring quality. So what is in these meals?

How to create "super cheap" meals: The cook goes to the market every day instead of contracting with a business

Around 2023, a young man named Le Minh Tuan posted on his personal Facebook page a "stormy" status about his daughter's meal, currently studying at Gio Linh Primary School ( Quang Tri ), at an unbelievable price of 15,000 VND. At that time, Tuan's post attracted 2,700 comments and 307 shares. In addition to compliments, there were also comments expressing doubts about the quality meal at a price that...couldn't be cheaper.

Mr. Le Minh Tuan's "stormy" sharing about the 15,000 VND meal of Gio Linh Primary School in 2023

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

These days, at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, when there are many noisy incidents about the quality of boarding meals, Thanh Nien reporters visited Gio Linh Primary School No. 1. Talking to Thanh Nien on the morning of October 7, teacher Nguyen Thi Thanh, the school's principal, said that this school year, due to rising prices, the school had to increase the price by 2,000 VND for each boarding meal, which means each meal now costs 17,000 VND.

Food used in the meals for Gio Linh Primary School students is purchased daily at the rural market; no frozen food is used.

PHOTO: THANH LOC

According to Ms. Thanh, the school currently does not contract with any company to provide food or meals for students, but all of it is provided to the school's 6 catering staff (these caterers are contracted by the school and collect money from students to pay their salaries).

"Here we only have rural markets so there are no companies that specialize in providing food. If we go through a company, we will usually use frozen food, which the school says no to. So the six catering staff go to the market every day, buying directly from the market. In addition to the cheaper prices, the fish and shrimp are still jumping, and the meat is still fresh. Even if we make meat patties, they also go to the slaughterhouse to buy meat and then grind it before bringing it back to cook for the students," said Ms. Thanh.

A full meal costs 17,000 VND at Gio Linh Primary School

PHOTO: THANH LOC

According to Ms. Thanh, this is the 13th year the school has organized boarding for students and in the 2025-2026 school year, up to 850 students are eating and resting at school.

But 17,000 VND/meal is still not the cheapest. Ms. Thanh's "neighboring" school, Gio Chau Primary School (Quang Tri), has a meal for only... 14,000 VND (previously 13,000 VND, just increased by 1,000 VND/meal for this new school year).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thanh, Principal of Gio Chau Primary School, said that currently between 270 and 300 students regularly stay at school at noon.

Some daily boarding meals worth 14,000 VND/meal at Gio Chau Primary School

PHOTO: THANH LOC

"The students studying at the school are mainly children of farmers, with difficult economic conditions. As the saying goes, 'If you eat well, you will be full, if you dress well, you will be warm', so our school has calculated every way to ensure nutritious meals for the students, with meat, fish, vegetables, soup... while also reducing the economic burden on parents," Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thanh confided.

Similar to Gio Linh Primary School, food brought to Gio Chau Primary School also comes from the local market, purchased daily, and not frozen. "In addition to lunch, which costs 14,000 VND/meal/student, in the early afternoon we also give the children a rotation of cakes, jelly, or fruit," said Ms. Thanh.

How to Build Trust with Parents: Take a Photo of Your Food Tray Every Day

At Gio Linh Primary School and Gio Chau Primary School, there is a very common practice where homeroom teachers take pictures of students' lunch trays and send them to the class group to... report to parents.

Homeroom teachers at Gio Linh Primary School often take pictures of the lunch trays to "report" to parents.

PHOTO: THANH LOC

"At first, the teachers sent us a lot of pictures. After we trusted them, we didn't ask them to take pictures anymore. After all, taking pictures can still be arranged. In reality, when we come home at night, we ask the kids what they want to eat, and they answer clearly. Now the kids even prefer to eat school-cooked meals than at home," Mr. Le Minh Tuan, a parent of Gio Linh Primary School, told Thanh Nien on the morning of October 7.

Gio Chau Primary School students love the 14,000 VND meal

PHOTO: THANH LOC

Teacher Nguyen Thi Thanh, Principal of Gio Linh Primary School, said that parents are allowed to come into the school to check on their children's eating habits at any time. "Parents also come to check regularly and in many very flexible ways. One day they bring pillows for the children, another time they bring clothes to change for the children... and then take the opportunity to check on their eating habits because the children eat right in the classroom. We are very transparent so parents can feel free to do so," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh.

Both Gio Linh and Gio Chau primary schools do not have canteens, so students either have to eat in class or in the gym.

PHOTO: TL

Similarly, Gio Chau Primary School does not have a canteen to serve meals to students. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thanh said that currently, students in grades 1, 2, and 3 are still eating in the classroom, while students in grades 4 and 5 are older, so the school uses the covered gymnasium to eat. "But no matter where they sit, the meals are still guaranteed to be full, adequate, and safe," Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thanh said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-gi-trong-suat-an-ban-tru-gia-14000-va-17000-dong-o-truong-lang-quang-tri-1852510071327464.htm