Recently, a social media post about the image of children's meals at Hoa Trang Nguyen Kindergarten (Thai Nguyen City) attracted public attention. The image of the rice tray contained food including green squash, carrots, minced meat, peanuts, sesame, and soup.
The article received mixed opinions from parents. Most expressed their anger at the simple, poor quality menu, which did not match the menu the school had prepared.
On October 6, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Ngo Thi Quyen - Head of the Education and Training Division of Thai Nguyen City said that this is a non-public kindergarten with 90 students. After receiving the feedback, the unit went directly to the school to inspect and clarify.
According to the report of the Department of Education and Training of Thai Nguyen City, at Hoa Trang Nguyen Kindergarten, the total cost of meals for children per day is 25,000 VND (actually 24,000 VND/day after deducting fuel costs).
Lunch menu (at the time the article was posted on social media) includes: Sesame peanuts; braised pork and chicken; steamed soft squash; sour clam soup.
Regarding the lack of braised meat in the student food, Hoa Trang Nguyen Kindergarten explained, "In reality, when feeding children, many children do not want to eat meat, many children do not want to eat vegetables/roots/fruits, so the teacher mixed the meat into the soft steamed squash dish with the purpose of letting the children eat both types of food. Thus, the braised meat was mixed into the squash so it was not placed separately on the tray."
After checking, the Department of Education and Training of Thai Nguyen City found that the menu was built in accordance with the meal. However, the nutritional ratio of the meal was not balanced. The results of establishing nutrients between nursery and kindergarten age groups were not separated.
The Department of Education and Training of Thai Nguyen City requires the school to learn from experience. Develop a menu that ensures adequate nutrition groups appropriate to the children's age. At the same time, strictly follow the regulations and procedures for organizing meals for children.
