Hanoi spends more than 3,000 billion VND to support lunch for 768,000 primary school students

(NLDO)- The Hanoi People's Committee plans to spend VND3,063 billion to support boarding meals for about 768,000 primary school students in the 2025-2026 school year.

The Hanoi People's Committee has just issued a document on the Regulations on the mechanism for supporting boarding meals for primary school students in Hanoi for the 2025-2026 school year.

Hanoi will spend more than 3,000 billion VND to support lunch for primary school students. Illustrative photo

According to the report, students studying ateducational institutions in mountainous areas and communes in the middle of the Red River are supported with 30,000 VND/child/day. Primary school students studying at educational institutions in the remaining areas are supported with 20,000 VND/child/day.

In case parents and schools agree on a higher meal allowance than the state subsidy, the difference will be collected from the student (ensuring a minimum meal allowance of VND30,000/student/day). The support applies to primary school students studying at educational institutions in Hanoi who voluntarily participate in boarding services (excluding foreign-invested educational institutions).

According to the city's calculations, the estimated budget to support meals for 100% of primary school students in the 2025-2026 school year is more than VND3,063 billion (public VND2,824 billion; private VND239 billion). The number of primary school students in Hanoi receiving support is about 768,000 (public: 707,720; private: 60,270).

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, support for primary school is provided because this level has the largest number of students compared to other levels. Primary school is a compulsory level of education with two sessions a day, and all schools organize boarding meals. Regarding facilities for boarding meals, schools basically meet the requirements such as dining rooms, kitchens, tables and chairs, equipment, utensils for organizing boarding meals...

In addition, primary school students are in the age of strong physical and mental development, requiring adequate energy and nutrition, so organizing boarding meals for 100% of students at school is necessary. In addition, students can have lunch at school, parents will not have to struggle to pick up and drop off their children in the middle of the day, saving time and effort, thereby focusing on work.

After implementing the policy for primary school students in the 2025-2026 school year, based on the actual situation and budget balance, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training will summarize and coordinate with relevant units to report to the City People's Committee on support for the remaining levels of education.

Explaining why it has not yet provided support for boarding students at foreign-invested educational institutions, the Hanoi People's Committee said that most of the students here are foreigners, from families with good economic conditions, willing to pay tuition and boarding meals much higher than those at public and private educational institutions. In addition, students studying at these educational institutions often change because their children depend on their parents' working time and residence in Vietnam.

The city has 778 primary schools (728 public; 50 private). Of these, 22 schools are located in mountainous communes and communes in the Red River delta.

Currently, the Central Government and Hanoi do not have a policy to support meals for primary school students. Public school students in Hanoi who eat at the boarding school will have to pay for meals according to Resolution No. 03/2024 of the City People's Council. The ceiling for lunch service is 35,000 VND/student/day.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ha-noi-chi-hon-3000-ti-dong-ho-tro-bua-trua-cho-768000-hoc-sinh-tieu-hoc-196250605130916999.htm