On April 3, 2026, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Official Dispatch No. 1602, directing all educational institutions nationwide to urgently review and inspect all contracts with units providing meals and food for schools.
At the same time, publicize the list of units providing meals and food on the electronic information page and mass media for parents and society to jointly monitor and promptly detect violations.
The requirement for review is necessary, but not enough, the core issue is not in one-time inspection, but in establishing a regular monitoring mechanism.
And, the key here is to publicize all information about school meals for society to monitor together.
The directive document of the Ministry of Education and Training requesting to review contracts, inspect suppliers, and handle violations is the right step. But if the information is still within the "internal", the risk of recurrence is very high.
If only a group of people knows, supervision is easily formalized. Conversely, when information is made public, hundreds, thousands of "eyes" will follow together.
Publicity is not a formality, but must go into substance.
The list of suppliers, contract content, meal prices, all need to be clearly posted. Parents have the right to know what their children eat, from where, and at what price.
Transparent information, then any abnormal signs can be detected early.
In addition, it is necessary to publicize images of daily meals. This is not only visual evidence, but also creates pressure for self-adjustment.
Meals are posted on the school's information page and other channels, and the quality can hardly be done perfunctorily. Comparison between schools and suppliers will form a healthy competitive mechanism.
Transparency is also a way to break the "gray zone" in food supply. Fake businesses often rely on lack of information to survive.
When information is made public, reputable suppliers will have the opportunity to assert themselves and improve service quality.
However, we cannot just rely on public disclosure on paper or on websites. Direct supervision by parents is still an irreplaceable factor.
Unscheduled inspections and meals with children at school will be the most practical "test". When schools and suppliers know that there is always monitoring, they are forced to comply with commitments.
Transparency does not make it difficult for schools, but helps schools protect themselves. Clear procedures, all public information, and parents' trust will be strengthened.
Conversely, ambiguity only increases suspicion and risk.
