How will preschool students from region III who have transferred to region I be supported with boarding meals?

On March 29, 2022, the People's Council of Lai Chau province passed Resolution No. 04/2022/NQ-HDND, stipulating the level of food allowance for boarding students in communes, villages and hamlets in region III converted to region I, according to the Prime Minister's Decision and the Decision of the Ethnic Committee for the period 2021-2025. This policy aims to create favorable conditions for students in remote and isolated areas to have the opportunity to study and develop.

Question: What is the policy on meal support for boarding students in Lai Chau? Does this policy decrease gradually over the school years?

Giang Mi Sung (Muong Te, Lai Chau)

Reply:

Resolution No. 04/2022/NQ-HDND stipulates the level of meal allowance support for boarding students at kindergartens and general schools in Lai Chau province, especially communes, villages and hamlets in region III converted to region I. Specifically:

Policy beneficiaries

This policy applies to preschool students from 24 months of age and above and high school students studying at public schools. Specifically:

Preschool children from 24 months of age and older: Children studying at public preschools in communes, villages, and hamlets in region III are transferred to region I according to the Prime Minister's Decision and the Ethnic Committee's Decision.

High school students: Students studying at primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and multi-level schools in communes in region III converted to region I.

In addition, students with permanent residence in these areas and currently studying at public educational institutions are eligible for this support.

Conditions for receiving support

The condition for students to receive meal allowance support under this Resolution is that they must study at school or in an area near the school with the following travel distance:

Primary school students: Distance from home to school must be 4 km or more.

Middle school students: Distance from home to school is 7 km or more.

High school students: Distance from home to school is 10 km or more.

In particular, students in areas with difficult terrain and transportation, unable to travel back and forth during the day, are also eligible for this support.

An English lesson for ethnic minority students at Ta Mung Primary Boarding School (Than Uyen, Lai Chau). Photo: PV

Meal allowance level

According to the Resolution, the level of meal support for boarding students is specifically regulated for each school year as follows:

School year 2022-2023: Meal allowance for boarding students is 30% of the basic salary per student/month.

2023-2024 school year: Support level reduced to 20% of base salary per student/month.

2024-2025 school year: The support level will be further reduced to 10% of the basic salary per student/month.

Support time

The meal allowance will last for 9 months/school year and will be implemented from 2022 to the end of the 2024-2025 school year. This policy will help boarding students in particularly disadvantaged areas have better access to educational services.

Funding sources

The funding source for meals for boarding students is provided from the local budget, balanced in the annual budget of Lai Chau province for education and training.

Policy implementation management and monitoring

The Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee is responsible for organizing the implementation of this policy and supervising its implementation. Provincial People's Council delegates will monitor and inspect the implementation of the resolution in localities to ensure that the policy is implemented properly and fairly.

The policy of supporting meals for boarding students in Lai Chau is an important step in helping students in remote areas have better learning conditions, without having to worry about food while staying at school. This policy will contribute to improving the quality of education and reducing the burden on poor families, creating conditions for students to continue pursuing their education.

Lai Chau province currently has over 490,000 people with 20 ethnic groups living together; of which, ethnic minorities account for 85%. The lives of ethnic minorities in the province have been constantly improving over the years, the average income of ethnic minorities by the end of 2023 was 18.36 million VND/person/year, an increase of 2.84 million VND/person/year compared to 2020. By 2023, the whole province will have 25,426 poor households, accounting for 23.88% (of which poor ethnic minority households account for 28.2%).

Currently, the rate of communes with asphalt or concrete roads to the commune center is 100%, the rate of villages with hardened roads to the center is 91%; the rate of mobilizing preschool children to go to class is 99.8%; the rate of mobilizing primary school-age students is 99.9%; the rate of solidly built health stations is 100%; the urban population is supplied with clean water through the centralized water supply system is 99%; the rate of households using the national grid is estimated at 96.5%... Currently, the whole province has 39/94 communes meeting new rural standards.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/lai-chau-hoc-sinh-mam-non-khu-vuc-iii-chuyen-thanh-khu-vuc-i-duoc-ho-tro-tien-an-ban-tru-the-nao-20241208164820942.htm