Ensuring the quality of school lunch programs.

The recent increase in fuel prices and many essential goods has directly impacted people's lives, especially the provision of school meals. In mountainous and remote areas, where economic conditions are challenging and transportation costs are high, this pressure is even more pronounced. Faced with this reality, educational institutions have proactively and flexibly implemented various solutions to improve the quality of meals and ensure adequate nutrition for students.

Báo Tuyên Quang•11/04/2026

Students eat lunch at Lac Nong Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary and Secondary School, Bac Me commune.

Students eat lunch at Lac Nong Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary and Secondary School, Bac Me commune.

Challenges faced by school canteens.

In the border commune of Thang Tin, Po Lo Kindergarten currently has over 200 students across 6 school locations. Due to the remote location and difficult transportation, the transportation of food depends heavily on fuel costs. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, the school principal, said: Recently, with the increase in fuel prices, most food items for the school's canteen have also increased. Specifically, pork prices have risen from 120,000 VND/kg to 160,000 VND/kg; eggs from 3,000 VND/egg to nearly 4,000 VND/egg; and vegetables and fruits have increased by about 10% compared to the beginning of the year.

According to Government Decree 66, each preschool child receives a subsidy of 360,000 VND per month. Pố Lồ Preschool provides lunch for 22 days, meaning each child receives a subsidy of 16,000 VND per day. However, in the context of rising prices, this subsidy makes it difficult for the school to create meals that are both nutritious and within budget.

Not only preschools, but also primary and secondary schools with boarding facilities are facing similar pressure. At Lac Nong Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary and Secondary School (Bac Me commune), students receive a monthly allowance of 936,000 VND. However, with a large number of boarding students, the pressure to ensure the quality of meals has increased due to rising food prices. Ms. Pham Thi Hong Nhung, the school's Deputy Principal, said: "The school maintains a diverse menu, ensuring a balanced diet with dishes such as tofu, chicken, pork, vegetable soup, and pumpkin for lunch and dinner; breakfast includes bread, sticky rice, steamed buns, or instant noodles and milk. However, the high food prices have significantly increased the cost of each meal. In addition, the price of gas used for cooking has also increased sharply, from over 400,000 VND per 12kg cylinder to over 600,000 VND per cylinder, adding further pressure on school kitchens."

At Thuong Nong Semi-Boarding Primary and Secondary School (Thuong Nong commune), in addition to the sharp increase in gas prices, the prices of various food items have also started to rise. Teacher Tran Thanh Chien, the school principal, shared: "The increase in raw material costs while the subsidy level remains unchanged has made balancing meals more difficult than before. The school currently has over 740 students, of which nearly 60% are boarding students, mainly children of ethnic minorities. The economic conditions of these families are still difficult, so mobilizing additional social resources to improve meals also faces many obstacles."

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The "Nutritious Vegetable Garden" model of Pố Lồ Kindergarten, Thàng Tín commune.

Proactive adaptation

Faced with these difficulties, schools have proactively implemented many flexible solutions to maintain the quality of school lunch programs. One of the solutions applied is adjusting the menu in a scientific and rational way, replacing expensive food items with other more affordable options while still ensuring nutritional value.

Schools have proactively worked with food suppliers to agree on appropriate prices, limit fluctuations, and sign commitments not to use substandard or frozen food. On the other hand, they have promoted social mobilization to ensure nutritious meals for students. They have also flexibly switched from using gas stoves to wood-burning stoves…

Furthermore, schools are strengthening coordination with parents and local authorities in managing and educating boarding students. The attention and support of families and society have contributed to creating favorable conditions for schools to maintain and improve the quality of boarding services. Ms. Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Me commune, said: The increase in food prices is mainly due to increased transportation costs, affecting school kitchens. The locality has established inspection teams to check the quality of school meals and requested schools to proactively develop adaptation plans while still ensuring the quality of meals for students, and to sign commitments to consume vegetables and tubers from local farmers.

According to statistics, the province currently has nearly 49,000 students, of which more than 27,000 are boarding or semi-boarding students, accounting for over 55%. Maintaining the school lunch program is also linked to government policies. Implementing Government Decree No. 66 and national target programs for ethnic minority and mountainous areas, students receive meal subsidies, helping to reduce the burden on families and schools. In a time of fluctuating prices, ensuring the quality of school lunches remains a challenge. However, with the attention of all levels and sectors, the efforts of schools, and the support of parents, the quality of school lunches will continue to be maintained and improved, contributing to better care for students in mountainous areas.

Text and photos: Thanh Nhan

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202604/dam-bao-chat-luong-bua-an-ban-tru-093692f/