Functional agencies in Khanh Hoa have just inspected a private kindergarten after images appeared of some children's meals with very little meat and eggs. Initial inspection results show that the nutritional quality of meals is not guaranteed.
Also on September 8, leaders of Hanoi People's Committee requested Trung Gia commune to urgently verify the reflection on the 40,000 VND semi-boarding meal of Trung Gia B Elementary School students with only a handful of stir-fried bean sprouts, minced meat and a small skewer of meat.
Feedback on the quality of semi-boarding meals has appeared in many places, showing that this is an issue that needs to be managed regularly, not just handled according to each case.
Each case usually starts with a photo, a video clip or parental feedback. Then, management agencies intervene, the school explains, the meal provider is inspected, and shortcomings are required to be corrected.
The process of handling cases as mentioned is necessary but only resolves individual cases. If the management process does not change, unsafe meals may still continue to appear in another school and have to wait for parents or teachers to detect them.
For families with boarding children, meal quality is always the top concern. School lunch accounts for an important part of the daily nutritional diet, directly affecting children's health and learning ability.
Therefore, organizing semi-boarding meals cannot be considered a side service in schools. Whether parents pay money or the budget supports, each meal must be commensurate with the collection level, sufficient in quantity, balanced in groups of substances and ensure food safety.
The fundamental solution is first of all to shift from reflective inspection to regular supervision. Typically, many schools in Hanoi are implementing the HanoiCheck program, using QR codes, digital signatures and AI cameras to manage the kitchen process.
Or like Tan My ward, Ho Chi Minh City, implementing the "Responsibility Green Stick" model, allowing parents to scan QR codes to trace the origin of food in each school meal.
Through the application on the phone, parents can track daily menus, look up food sources and update information related to their children's meals.
Management agencies also have additional tools to monitor food safety, detect abnormalities and promptly direct handling.
Of course, QR codes or AI cameras are not "magic wands" that can solve everything. Therefore, along with technology, it is still necessary to maintain food testing, store samples, conduct surprise inspections and build a unified database of qualified suppliers. Parent representatives also need to participate in supervision from the stage of importing raw materials, processing to dividing portions.
Parents send their children to stay at school along with the contribution money and the belief that their children will be able to eat enough, eat clean, and eat according to standards.
That trust must be protected by a transparent monitoring system, operating daily, not by inspections that only start when a "small" meal has appeared online.
