According to the proposal submitted on June 5 by the Hanoi People's Committee, students enrolled in schools located in mountainous areas or the islets of the Red River will receive VND 30,000 (approximately USD 1.18) per student per day. Those studying in other areas across the city will receive VND 20,000 (approximately USD 0.79) per student per day.
If parents and schools agree to a higher meal costs than the government’s subsidy, the difference will be paid by the student’s family, with a minimum meal value set at VND 30,000 per day.
The city estimates the total cost for subsidising lunches for all primary students in the 2025-2026 school year to be over VND 3 trillion (approximately USD 118 million), including VND 2.824 trillion (approximately USD 111 million) for public schools and VND 239 billion (approximately USD 9.4 million) for private schools. The total number of beneficiaries includes 707,720 students at public schools and 60,270 at private institutions.
Officials explained that primary education was prioritised for support as it comprises the largest number of students compared to other levels. Moreover, primary education in Vietnam is compulsory and requires students to attend school full-day, with most institutions providing lunch.
The city clarified that the policy does not apply to students at foreign-invested schools, as these institutions mainly serve expatriate families who are financially capable of covering significantly higher tuition and meal fees. Additionally, the enrolment of these students tends to fluctuate.
Hanoi currently has 778 primary schools, including 728 public and 50 private institutions. Among them, 22 schools are located in mountainous areas or on islets along the Red River.
