What do parents say about Hanoi's policy of supporting meals for primary school students?

Hanoi plans to use more than 3,000 billion VND to support boarding meals for about 768,000 primary school students at schools in the city, with a support level of 20,000 VND/student/day.

At the 25th Session, the Hanoi People's Council passed a Resolution regulating the mechanism for supporting meals for primary school students in the city for the 2025-2026 school year. This practical and humane policy has received the approval of schools and parents.

According to the Resolution, primary school students studying ateducational institutions in mountainous communes and communes in the Red River delta area will be supported with 30,000 VND/student/day for main meals. For students in the remaining areas of the city, the support level is 20,000 VND/student/day.

In case parents and schools agree on a higher meal allowance than the State subsidy, the difference will be contributed by parents, ensuring a minimum meal allowance of 30,000 VND/student/day to maintain nutritional quality and food safety.

The support period is calculated based on the actual number of days of meals, not exceeding 9 months/school year. The support funding source is from the State budget according to decentralization; in 2025, it will be guaranteed by the city budget.

This policy is especially meaningful for students who study two sessions a day and have high demand for boarding. In addition to improving the quality of care and education, supporting lunch also helps reduce costs for families and creates conditions for parents to work with peace of mind.

Teacher Dau Thi Thanh Hoan, Principal of Dong Thap Primary School (Dan Phuong District) said that in the 2024-2025 school year, the school has 301 out of 803 students registered for boarding meals. The number is not high due to the local characteristics of mainly farming , low income, and most of the students live near the school so parents pick up their children to have lunch at home.

With the city’s support policy, Ms. Thanh Hoan said this is a very meaningful decision for rural schools like Dong Thap Primary School. Having students eat and stay at school not only ensures their health but also increases their safety.

“The school is committed to strictly implementing the processing procedures, ensuring the quality of meals and facilities for students. With this level of support, parents only have to pay a small amount for their children to eat and rest at school,” Ms. Thanh Hoan shared.

According to teachers at some suburban elementary schools, picking up and dropping off children at noon is very tiring and affects the health of students, especially in hot weather conditions. Many parents want to send their children to boarding schools but are hesitant due to financial constraints.

In the context of increasing living costs, the policy of supporting boarding meals demonstrates the city's practical concern for its residents. Many parents consider this a correct policy, contributing to ensuring fairness in access to education, reducing financial pressure for families with school-age children, especially those in difficult circumstances.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung (Hoang Mai ward) said: “Both of my children are in primary school. Every month, my husband and I have to set aside money for our children’s tuition and meals before considering other expenses. Next year, our children will be exempted from tuition fees and supported with boarding meals, my family is very excited. My husband and I plan to let our children learn more skills to increase their resistance and make learning more enjoyable.”

Ms. Bui Thi Hoa (Thuong Cat ward) also shared that her family has three children going to school, so the policy of free tuition and support for boarding meals helps significantly reduce costs, motivating parents to work and produce with peace of mind.

Hanoi is the locality with the largest education scale in the country with more than 2.3 million preschool and primary school students. The policy to support boarding meals is expected to use a total budget of more than VND 3,000 billion, supporting about 768,000 primary school students at public and private schools in the city, excluding foreign-invested schools.

Source: VNP

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/phu-huynh-noi-gi-ve-chinh-sach-ho-tro-bua-an-ban-tru-cho-hoc-sinh-tieu-hoc-cua-ha-noi-20250711170136425.htm