At about 10:30 am on April 13, the gate area of Binh Quoi Tay Primary School (Binh Quoi ward) was crowded with parents coming to pick up their children to go home for lunch and rest before returning to class in the afternoon.
Parents having to pick up and drop off their children at noon started on April 9, when the school announced the temporary suspension of semi-boarding meals due to more than 100 students showing symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang (Binh Quoi ward), whose child is in 3rd grade, said that his family fell into a passive position when the semi-boarding schedule was temporarily suspended.
My husband and I both work office hours, before my child stayed at school all day, so it was very convenient. These days we have to take turns asking to go out in the middle of the hour to pick up our child, on busy days we ask grandparents for help. It's quite stressful, but my child's health is paramount," Mr. Hoang shared.
Similarly, Ms. Tran Thi Sen (whose child is in 4th grade) said it was quite hard because she had to pick up and drop off her child at noon.
This is an event that no one wants to happen, however, when hearing the news that many students vomited, the family was also worried. Temporarily accepting the inconvenience to ensure the safety of their children," Ms. Sen said.
Despite the inconvenience, Ms. Sen said she still agreed with the temporary suspension of semi-boarding to wait for the official conclusion from functional agencies.
My child has no symptoms, but when she heard the news that many students had to be hospitalized, the family was very confused. The school's temporary suspension of semi-boarding is necessary, as long as there is a clear conclusion soon to reassure parents," Ms. Sen expressed.
Previously, on the morning of April 8, many students of Binh Quoi Tay Elementary School showed symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain and had to be hospitalized for monitoring.
The incident worried parents. The school has temporarily stopped organizing semi-boarding to coordinate with functional agencies to inspect and clarify the cause.
Ms. Diep Thi Ngoc Tien - Principal of Binh Quoi Tay Primary School, said that the temporary suspension of semi-boarding causes great disruption for parents, but is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of students.
According to Ms. Tien, the temporary suspension of semi-boarding will last at least until there are test results of food samples.
