Schools in Bac Kan struggle to organize meals for boarding students

In the 2024-2025 school year, Bac Kan province has 280 schools from kindergarten to high school. Of which, 44 boarding and semi-boarding schools and 106 public kindergartens organize meals for students from state support funds; 141 kindergartens and primary schools organize meals for students from funds agreed with parents and all must implement according to the 2023 Bidding Law. However, even though it has been 1 month since the start of the new school year, all of these educational institutions have not been able to implement the selection of suppliers according to the Law, and most of them still organize meals for students in the same way as in previous school years. This makes many parents worried.

“It is very inconvenient to have to pick up and drop off children at noon. I often have to ask someone to pick them up for me because after school I still have office hours. I hope to have lunch soon so that parents can feel more secure."

At nearly 11am, many parents were waiting to pick up their children at Duc Xuan Primary School, Bac Kan City to go home for lunch.

Schools will be responsible for selecting food and catering suppliers. However, most teachers have never done it before, so they do not fully understand the relevant processes and procedures. Some units are still wondering whether they are subject to the Law on Bidding or not? What funding sources are used to hire consultants? Is their unit subject to designated bidding or bidding? Is the bidding monthly, quarterly or must it be a full year?

Without organizing the selection of suppliers according to the Law, many schools have had to continue to provide boarding meals for children in the old way to ensure the health of students.

Ms. Hua Hoang Anh, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Cho Don District, Bac Kan Province, said: "According to the feedback, schools are currently facing difficulties in carrying out procedures. In the district, there is no unit providing meals for children, only restaurants. Recently, Bang Lung Town Kindergarten held a meeting to collect parents' opinions, but the parents did not agree to let an outside unit provide meals, but they wanted to hire a cook like in previous years."

For children in mountainous areas, meals are an important factor for schools to maintain class sizes.

In order not to affect the learning process of students, especially in remote and disadvantaged communes and districts, many schools have had to continue cooking for students according to the plan they have implemented in previous years. Teacher Ma Van An, Principal of Cong Bang Primary Boarding School, Pac Nam District, Bac Kan Province said: Cong Bang is a disadvantaged commune of the district, maintaining class size is very difficult for teachers because many students live more than 10km from school, boarding meals with meat, rice, hot soup, and enough nutrition are an important factor for students to feel secure going to class.

“According to the law, we have to wait for the bidding to be completed before cooking. If we stop, all the students will be absent. They all live far away and sleep at school. If we stop cooking, what will the students eat? That is what we are very concerned about. Teaching hours are 2 sessions a day. According to the new general education program, grade 3 has IT and English, so we cut the schools from grade 3 and brought the students here to live in a boarding school. If they are here, they must have a place to eat and stay. A few years ago, we still provided them with food and accommodation like that, but now that the law is in place, the school feels really difficult,” said teacher Ma Van An.

Meals help parents feel secure sending their children to school

Based on the request of the Department of Education of Bac Kan, the Department of Planning and Investment of Bac Kan, the Department of Finance of Bac Kan recently issued a document guiding and answering a number of issues related to the selection of food and meal suppliers for students.

Mr. Dinh Hong Dang, Head of Planning and Finance Department, Bac Kan Department of Education and Training said: “Since the beginning of the year, Bac Kan Department of Planning and Investment has organized many training courses, guiding schools, educational institutions, and public service units related to bidding work. However, for those disadvantaged schools, teachers are mainly tasked with teaching, so they are not familiar with bidding regulations. Therefore, teachers currently have to both research and learn to implement them in accordance with regulations.”

Parents want schools to soon resume boarding meals

The fact that schools continue to implement meals in the old way is a temporary solution and also puts teachers in a difficult position. Therefore, when the guidelines have been issued, educational institutions need to apply and implement them promptly to ensure the rights of students. At the same time, through that, it is also to properly assess the situation when applying the Law in practice. From the difficulties, obstacles and shortcomings at the local level, there will be proposals to adjust policies more suitable to reality.

Source: https://vov.vn/xa-hoi/truong-hoc-o-bac-kan-loay-hoay-to-chuc-an-ban-tru-cho-hoc-sinh-post1125331.vov