The Hanoi People's Committee has just submitted a document to the City People's Council on the draft Resolution regulating the mechanism for supporting boarding meals for primary school students in Hanoi in the 2025-2026 school year.
According to the Hanoi People's Committee, the development of support policies to implement the suggestive opinions of General Secretary To Lam at the voter meeting before the 9th session, the 15th National Assembly on April 17, 2025 and continue to take care of the education and school policy, ensure the quality of teaching and learning, creating the best learning conditions for the capital's children.
According to the submission, students studying at educational institutions in mountainous areas and communes on the banks of the Red River are supported with 30,000 VND/student/day.
Primary school students studying at educational institutions in the remaining area are supported with 20,000 VND/student/day.
In case parents and schools agree on a higher food allowance than the state's support level, the difference will be collected from students (ensuring the minimum food allowance is 30,000 VND/student/day).
The support is applied to primary school students studying at educational institutions in Hanoi who voluntarily participate in using boarding services (excluding educational institutions with foreign investment).
According to calculations, the estimated cost of supporting boarding meals for 100% of primary school students in the 2025-2026 school year is more than 3,000 billion VND (2,824 billion VND for public schools; 239 billion VND for private schools).
The number of Hanoi primary school students supported is about 768,000%, of which public is 707,720; private is 60,270.
The Hanoi People's Committee explains that support for primary schools is because this school has the largest number of students compared to other levels. Primary school is a compulsory level of education with two sessions a day, and all schools organize boarding meals. Regarding the facilities for serving boarding meals, schools basically meet the needs such as dining rooms, kitchens, tables and chairs, equipment and items for organizing boarding meals...
Next, primary school students are at the age of strong physical and intellectual development, requiring adequate energy and nutrition, so organizing boarding meals for 100% of students at school is necessary.
In addition, students can have lunch at school, parents will not have to take their children in the middle of the class, save time and effort, thereby focusing on work.
After implementing the policy with elementary school students in the school year 2025-2026, based on the actual situation and the ability to balance the budget, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training will summarize and coordinate with the relevant units to report to the City People's Committee the support of the remaining levels.
The city has explained that the reason for not supporting boarding meals for students studying at foreign-invested educational institutions is that most of the students here are foreigners, all from families with economic conditions, willing to pay tuition and boarding meals many times higher than that of public and private educational institutions.
In addition, students studying at these educational institutions often fluctuate because their children depend on their parents' working and residing time in Vietnam.
According to statistics, the whole city currently has 778 primary schools (728 public; 50 private schools). Of which, 22 schools are in mountainous communes and communes on the banks of the Red River.
Currently, the Central Government and Hanoi do not have a policy to support boarding meals for primary school students. Public students in Hanoi who are part-time will have to pay for meals according to Resolution No. 03/2024 of the City People's Council.
The ceiling for lunch service is 35,000 VND/student/day. For private school students, the fee for meals is agreed upon between the educational institution and parents.
