School lunch for students: Still difficult to be implemented

Many public primary schools in Dong Nai province have implemented the day-boarding model, providing lunch for students. This undertaking also meets the expectations of many parents, especially those who are unable to pick up and drop off their children at midday, such as government staff, office employees, and factory workers in industrial zones.

Many public primary schools in Dong Nai province have implemented the day-boarding model, providing lunch for students.

Pham Thi Ngoc Ha, whose child attends Binh Da Primary School (Tam Hiep Ward), shared: “I feel very reassured about the day-boarding model at my child’s school. Thanks to this model, I don’t have to go to the school at midday to pick up my child, nor do I have to worry about meals or afternoon supervision.”

Convenient for parents

Thanks to the school’s day-boarding model, Pham Thi Ngoc Ha no longer has to worry about her child’s transportation, meals, rest, or studies during midday and the afternoon. Each morning, she simply takes her child to school before heading to work at a company in Amata Industrial Park (Long Binh Ward), and only picks her up after her shift ends. Ha feels even more reassured knowing her child enjoys the school meals, with a variety of dishes, especially because sharing meals with classmates makes her child happier.

Tran Thi Huyen, Principal of Binh Da Primary School, said: “The school has implemented a two-session day-boarding program in combination with the Japanese Kitchen model for many years. Regarding the input food, the school strictly monitors both its origin and quality. The food preparation process is rigorously followed, from preliminary processing and cooking to storage in the kitchen and delivery to classrooms to serve students at 11 a.m. This entire process is supervised not only by the school on a regular basis but also by parents.”

Thanks to the absence of student overcrowding, most primary schools in Long Khanh Ward have now adopted a full-day boarding model with two sessions and lunch provided for students. The initiative has received strong support from parents, as many are unable to pick up and drop off their children at midday. In addition, schools have ensured transparency in fees, maintained meal quality, and provided well-organized dining and rest conditions. These factors have helped build parents’ trust and encouraged them to enroll their children in the program.

According to Le Thi Phuong Thuy, Principal of Le Van Tam Primary School in Long Khanh Ward: “Last school year, the school began piloting a semi-boarding model with lunch, and this year it has been officially implemented on a more systematic scale. In addition to being served lunch in the dining area, students also have a midday nap, with beds, blankets, sheets, and pillows fully provided. Moreover, all classrooms are equipped with fans and air conditioners.”

Regarding student meals, Le Thi Phuong Thuy said: "Each lunch will include rice, a savory dish, a stir-fried dish, soup, and dessert, ensuring sufficient nutrients and scientific nutrition, and the menu will be changed weekly."

Hoping for more day-boarding models

The implementation of the day-boarding model in schools has drawn considerable interest and support from parents. However, for various objective and subjective reasons, not all public schools are able to implement it easily. This situation not only causes inconvenience for parents and affects students’ entitlements, but also leads to a waste of state investment resources. In reality, some primary schools are fully capable of implementing the day-boarding model but are slow to act, while others wish to implement it but lack the necessary conditions. There are even schools that currently offer day-boarding but have chosen to stop providing meals...

Hoang Thi Ngoc, Principal of Nguyen An Ninh Primary School (Tam Hiep Ward), said: This year, the school is still implementing the day-boarding model, serving lunch for students at a reasonable cost. However, serving day-boarding work puts a lot of pressure on both the Board of Principals and teachers.

The principal of a primary school in Trang Dai Ward said that due to the very large student population, over 2,000 students, and outdated, deteriorating, and cramped facilities, the school is unable to organize day-boarding at midday. As a result, parents register their children for day-boarding at the homeroom teacher’s house. There, the children are provided lunch and rest, and in the afternoon, the teacher helps them with their homework before parents pick them up to return home.

Regarding the quality of meals provided at teachers’ homes, the principal of a primary school in Trang Dai Ward expressed concern, calling it a worrisome issue. In fact, during several unannounced inspections previously conducted by relevant authorities at homes where teachers provided after-school care, the meals offered to students during day-boarding were found to lack proper nutritional standards. In addition, conditions for after-school care, such as eating, sleeping, and living spaces, as well as fire safety measures, pose potential risks to student safety.

Schools that are able to implement the day-boarding model offer significant benefits to students. It allows them to study, eat, and rest in a structured and balanced manner, helps form good habits, and, most importantly, ensures better control over food safety and hygiene. In addition, parents can greatly reduce the time and effort spent on daily pick-ups and drop-offs. For these reasons, the ward will conduct a review of all public schools in the area, and those with sufficient conditions should move forward with implementing day-boarding for students.

Vice Chairwoman of Tam Hiep Ward People's Committee LUU THI HANG

Entering the new school year 2025-2026, some elementary schools in the former Binh Phuoc province area have informed parents that the school will still teach 2 sessions/day, but will not organize lunch service for students as before. This fact makes parents worried, especially those who work as factory workers in industrial parks. According to research at some schools, the temporary suspension of day boarding meals for students is due to concerns about the collection rates for day boarding services. To maintain this activity and support parents, the Department of Education and Training has issued a document guiding schools to continue implementing it.

Meanwhile, a recent survey conducted by the Department of Education and Training at 30 public schools across 8 border communes found that all schools expressed a desire to offer day-boarding classes, particularly at the primary level. However, all of them currently face a common challenge: inadequate facilities. Some schools have had to suspend their day-boarding programs after a period of implementation temporarily. Others continue to operate, but the meals for day-boarding students are brought in from outside providers, making it difficult to ensure food safety and hygiene.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho