Hanoi approves lunch subsidies for primary schools starting from 2025-2026 academic year. (Photo: Viet Thanh)

Earlier, the Hanoi People’s Committee had submitted a proposal to the City People's Council regarding the provision of meal subsidies for primary school students. According to the proposal, students attending schools in mountainous areas or communes located on the alluvial islets of the Red River will receive a subsidy of 30,000 VND per student per day. Students in other areas of the city will receive 20,000 VND per student per day.

Based on the city's calculations, the total projected budget to support all primary school students’ lunches in the 2025–2026 academic year is over 3,000 billion VND (including 2,824 billion VND for public schools and 239 billion VND for private schools). The total number of students eligible for the support is estimated at approximately 768,000, including 707,720 in public schools and 60,270 in private schools.

In relation to this initiative, on July 8, the Office of the Hanoi People's Committee issued an official dispatch regarding preparations for organizing semi-boarding meals at schools across the city in the upcoming academic year.

Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Ms. Vu Thu Ha, assigned the Department of Health to take the lead and coordinate with relevant departments—such as the Departments of Industry and Trade; Agriculture and Rural Development; and Natural Resources and Environment—to develop criteria for selecting meal providers and food suppliers for school kitchens.

The Department of Health is also tasked with proposing to form an Appraisal Council to assess the capacity of meal service companies, as well as advising and reporting to the City People's Committee before July 9.

Once approved by the City People's Committee, the Department of Health will announce the official criteria and organize the selection process for meal service providers and food suppliers for school semi-boarding kitchens for the 2025–2026 academic year. This task is to be completed by July 18.

According to the proposal of the Hanoi People’s Committee, the development of the support policy aims to implement recommendations made by General Secretary Tô Lâm during a meeting with voters ahead of the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly on April 17, 2025. It also reflects the city’s continued commitment to education, improving school policies, ensuring quality teaching and learning, and creating the best possible learning conditions for the children of the capital.