General Secretary To Lam suggests Hanoi pioneer free lunch for students

Hanoi students on the first day of the new school year. (Photo: Nguyet Anh)

On the morning of April 17, at a meeting with voters of the three districts of Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung before the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly, General Secretary To Lam asked Hanoi to pay attention to the quality of teaching and learning, and take care of the comprehensive development of the capital's children.

The General Secretary said that the Ministry of Education and Training has recently instructed to organize two sessions a day for primary and secondary school students. The free lunch policy at school will help parents reduce the pressure of taking their children to and from school in the middle of the day.

The General Secretary calculated that Hanoi currently has 1.2-1.3 million primary and secondary school students, each free meal costs about 30,000 VND. The city's budget revenue in the first quarter of 2025 is about 250,000 billion VND, "it is completely possible to implement the above humane policy". "I propose that Hanoi city study and implement it from the 2025-2026 school year", he said.

The General Secretary's opinion received the agreement of all voters and delegates attending the meeting, as demonstrated by the unanimous applause that followed.

In addition to the proposal of free lunch, the General Secretary suggested reducing the pressure of studying for students, creating conditions for them to have more time to play, entertain and explore other subjects. He suggested studying culture in the morning, and English or other gifted subjects in the afternoon.

"The other day, I suggested to the education sector that every high school graduate should know how to play a musical instrument. They can play the flute, the piano, or the violin, depending on their talent. Children living in peace deserve such things," the General Secretary emphasized.

In late February, the Politburo decided that students from kindergarten to high school nationwide would be exempted from tuition fees from the 2025-2026 school year. This decision was made after the Politburo reviewed the Government's report on the ability to balance finances during and after the process of streamlining the political system's organizational apparatus.

During the meeting, General Secretary To Lam especially reminded Hanoi about the issue of ensuring food safety. The General Secretary said: "The capital cannot afford to lose food safety, affecting the city's reputation, people's health, and urban quality."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tong-bi-thu-to-lam-goi-mo-ha-noi-tien-phong-mien-phi-bua-trua-cho-hoc-sinh-311486.html