Dirty food scandal in schools: Many parents pick up their children for lunch

Many parents of Trung Vuong Primary School (Xuan Huong Ward - Da Lat, Lam Dong) decided to take their children home for lunch, while the authorities were investigating and verifying the complaint that the principal signed a contract with a supplier to repeatedly bring dirty food into the boarding kitchen.

Parents rush to withdraw their children from the boarding school kitchen

On the morning of September 17, Ms. Nguyen Thai Quynh Nga, Principal of Trung Vuong Primary School, confirmed that after social media spread information about dirty food being brought into the boarding school kitchen, at noon on September 16, 70 students were picked up by their parents to go home for lunch.

Many parents take their children home for lunch instead of eating at the boarding kitchen at Trung Vuong Primary School.

PHOTO: LAM VIEN

According to Ms. Nga, although many parents no longer let their children attend boarding school, the boarding kitchen is still operating normally. However, when the reporter asked to publicly identify the unit that has been providing food to the school recently, Ms. Nga refused, saying that the police were investigating. She only said that this unit was in Duc Trong District (old).

Parents' representatives of Trung Vuong Primary School spoke up about the management of the boarding kitchen with the school and authorities.

PHOTO: CUT FROM CLIP

Ms. Nga also said that all accounting books and documents related to boarding schools for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years have been seized by the police to serve the investigation. "The school is waiting for the results to clarify the case," Ms. Nga said.

I want to go home to eat what my mother cooks.

As Thanh Nien reported, on September 16, Lam Dong Provincial Police and authorities of Xuan Huong Ward - Da Lat went to Trung Vuong Primary School to verify information shared on social networks about the complaint that the principal had contracted with a supplier to repeatedly bring dirty food into the boarding kitchen.

At noon on September 16, 70 students did not eat at the boarding kitchen of Trung Vuong Primary School.

PHOTO: LAM VIEN

In the past two days, many parents of Trung Vuong Primary School continued to report to Thanh Nien reporters that from the second semester of the 2024-2025 school year to the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, their children often complained about the school's lunch, demanding to go home to eat their mother's cooking. One parent said that her child's class had 28 boarding students, but after information about dirty food in the school's kitchen emerged, 18 parents decided to take their children home for lunch.

Mr. NDT, whose child is in 4th grade at Trung Vuong Primary School, said that for the past 3 years, his child has been fine eating at school. However, before the summer break of the 2024-2025 school year and the last week of boarding, the child kept asking to go home to eat the food his mother cooked, saying that the food at school was not delicious. Because he was busy with work, Mr. T. advised his child to try to eat, even though "it was not as delicious as the food his mother cooked."

"Once, my child had lunch at school and had a stomachache in the afternoon, but at that time I didn't think it was because of dirty or poor quality food. Now that the incident happened, I feel sorry for my child because I forced him to eat. Now, even though it takes more time to pick him up and drop him off, I accept letting him go home to eat for safety," Mr. T. shared.

Meal 30,000 VND/student includes a bowl of rice, minced meat, egg and a bowl of soup to eat together

PHOTO: LAM VIEN

Ms. NNQ, another parent, said that the monthly boarding fee is 692,000 VND/student, including meals, accommodation and management. Each week, students only have 4 lunches at school, which cost 30,000 VND each, with fruit or cake in the afternoon. "My child has been eating at boarding school for many years, but since the 2024-2025 school year, when Ms. Nga became principal, he kept complaining that the food was not delicious and wanted his mother to take him home for lunch," she said.

Similarly, Ms. GT, a parent of a 4th grader at Trung Vuong Primary School, said her child often suffers from digestive disorders. When she went to the doctor, the doctor diagnosed the cause as eating contaminated food. "Now that I heard that the school's kitchen receives dirty food, I understand why my child is so sick. I feel sorry for him," Ms. GT said, adding that starting today she has decided to take her child home for lunch.

Boarding menu posted at Trung Vuong Primary School

PHOTO: LAM VIEN

30,000 VND menu and quality concerns

According to the school’s public menu, on Mondays and Wednesdays students get rice with one soup, one main dish, and one stir-fry. Tuesdays have only soup and main dishes; Thursdays are replaced by pasta, rice noodles, or pho. Each meal costs 30,000 VND.

Mr. NVT, a parent of a 4th grade student, said: "We are willing to pay more for our children to have delicious, quality and safe meals. But when we look at the children's food trays, especially on days when there is only soup and salty food, we cannot help but feel sorry. We hope that the authorities will soon take action so that the boarding kitchen can truly be a trustworthy place, without the worry of dirty food."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vu-thong-tin-thuc-pham-ban-vao-truong-hoc-nhieu-phu-huynh-don-con-ve-an-trua-185250917091924237.htm