Bac Ha District People's Committee announced on Friday that Tran Ngoc Ha had submitted his resignation letter on December 21 in which he said he would take responsibility for his leadership and management, which had caused a negative public reaction.
Ha was earlier suspended on December 17 after a report by Vietnam Television (VTV) disclosed that 173 students at his school had been given poor meals following the ingredients being reduced by two-thirds compared to what was written on the menus.
In its Friday announcement, the committee confirmed that all information in the VTV's report was accurate.
The committee's checks following VTV's report found various violations at the school. The principal had not signed any food purchase documents, and the cash payment receipt had no figures indicating the money or the principal’s signature.
The school also failed to send the leftover money to the families of the students during the days students didn't eat at the school as regulated by the government's policy.
While students are receiving VND150,000 per month to buy textbooks and other study tools, the school only bought new textbooks for students in grade 4 while those in grades 1, 2, 3, and 5 were using old books. Meanwhile, the leftover money hadn't been sent to parents as stipulated in the regulations.
Police are further investigating the case.
Hoang Thu Pho 1 Primary School was among those schools in difficult areas which received financial support from the government. Each student in these schools is given free accommodation at school, VND720,000 per month in cash and 15 kilos of rice monthly for meals.
VTV calculated that based on the meals seen at the school, the school is only spending some VND 40 million from the VND 120 million the government provides monthly to the students.
