So that parents don't have to worry about school lunches.

We visited a primary school in Ho Chi Minh City during an "Open House" event – where parents could visit the school with their children, tour the cafeteria, observe the meal preparation process, and sample the school lunch. In one class of 32 students, 20 parents requested to eat lunch with their children. This demonstrates the parents' deep concern about their children's meals at school.

To reassure parents about school lunch programs, relevant authorities and departments have recently issued numerous documents and plans to strengthen inspections, with a particular focus on surprise inspections of school lunch providers, collective kitchens, canteens, and food services within schools; requiring education departments and relevant agencies to enhance food safety in schools. In addition, inter-agency inspection teams may conduct unannounced surprise visits.

For schools, whether they order meals from catering companies or have on-site kitchens, each institution has intensified its monitoring and conducting regular and unscheduled inspections, with parents always participating in the inspection teams.

But clearly, inspection teams from the school administration, school health services , or parents cannot (and do not have the capacity to) constantly monitor all catering companies or kitchens to check if procedures are correct, if licenses are complete, if food is of clear origin, and if meals are safe and nutritionally balanced. Not to mention that monitoring catering companies is much more difficult than monitoring school kitchens.

The root problem is that while all the legal frameworks for establishing, organizing, and managing safe school lunch programs for students are in place, serious, transparent, and lawful work is essential from everyone, every party, and at every stage. This includes the supply of food ingredients, preparation, processing, distribution, storage, and transportation. Any violation must be dealt with severely. Each school lunch directly impacts the lives, health, and long-term physical and mental development of children.

Parents who enroll their children in daycare and pay all related fees for the daycare program and meals have legitimate demands. These demands include, first and foremost, safe and nutritious meals that provide sufficient energy. More broadly, they want happy, scientifically organized meals where children learn more about food, connect with teachers and friends, and learn independence, discipline, and appreciation for hard work.

Many localities across the country are building happy schools. Holistic happiness is built upon many factors, from people to the environment and processes… However, there are simple elements that are among the conditions that make students feel happy when they come to school, such as safe, nutritious, and enjoyable school meals.

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