HCMC: The price of watermelon is nearly 60,000 VND or lean meat is 220,000 VND per kg. Some parents of Phuoc Long B Kindergarten complained that it was expensive, and the Department of Education later requested an adjustment.
On October 2, the list of lunch food items at Phuoc Long B Kindergarten in Thu Duc City caused a stir among many parents. Ms. Thanh, the parent of a 3-year-old child at the school, said that the prices on the list were unreasonable.
Specifically, seedless watermelon costs 58,900 VND, lean meat costs 219,800 VND per kg, Safoco egg noodles cost 115,800 VND per kg. Meanwhile, according to Ms. Thanh, at the online Co.op supermarket, seedless watermelon costs only 16,300 VND, lean meat costs 182,000 VND, or Safoco egg noodles cost 73,800 VND per kg. As for potatoes, at the supermarket, the unpeeled type costs 38,000-45,000 VND per kg, while at the market, the peeled type costs 89,800 VND.
"I know that the price of food at school will be different from the price at the market because it has to meet quality standards, but this price is also much higher than at the supermarket," said Ms. Thanh.
Ms. Bich, another parent at the school, acknowledged that the price of fresh food can fluctuate, but the price of dry goods such as noodles, sugar, fish sauce, and cooking oil that the school imports is also higher than usual.
According to parents, the school is temporarily charging 15,000 VND for breakfast, 35,000 VND for lunch and afternoon snack (dinner). They are worried that the school's high prices may affect their children's meals.
"With such price, is the quantity and quality of the children's meals guaranteed?", Ms. Bich questioned.
Price list of food for lunch on October 2nd at Phuoc Long B Kindergarten. Photo: Provided by parents
Responding to VnExpress on the morning of October 6, Ms. Dinh Thi Xuan Chau, Principal of Phuoc Long B Kindergarten, said that all food brought into the school follows the safe food chain, with full information about the supplier, invoices, documents, and origin of the goods.
"The food supplier is selected by the school based on reputation and quality to ensure meals for students," said Ms. Chau, adding that the food price list is posted publicly on the bulletin board for parents to follow, but no comments have been received about price or quality.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thai Vinh Nguyen, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City, the school is collecting meal fees in accordance with the regulations of the City People's Council. Accordingly, the maximum price for breakfast and lunch is 20,000 and 35,000 VND, respectively. Regarding the parents' feedback, the Department has asked the school to review the food import price, comparing it with some other schools in the area.
"Realizing that the food price of this supplier was not suitable, the department suggested that the school change suppliers," said Mr. Nguyen.
Explaining further, Mr. Nguyen said that food brought to schools must meet certain strict safety standards, so the price will be different from the market price. However, schools need to review whether the supplier's price is suitable for the general level or not. The department also asked other schools in the area to review this.
Phuoc Long B Kindergarten. Photo: DN
Phuoc Long B Kindergarten was inaugurated at the end of April and currently has nearly 200 preschool children attending.
Last year, about 70% of the more than 2,300 schools in Ho Chi Minh City organized boarding meals. The Department of Education and Training requires schools to select food for their kitchens that meets standards for safe food supply chains, meeting at least one of the following standards: HACCP, ISO 22000:2005, VietGap, Global Gap. Food brought into schools must have a clear origin, through invoices and documents from production, processing and distribution facilities.
Le Nguyen
*Parents' names have been changed
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