This year, Ma Thì Hồ Kindergarten in Na Sang commune (Điện Biên province) welcomed over 700 students, including more than 220 toddlers. In previous years, before meal subsidies were introduced, children’s daily meals depended largely on parents’ contributions and partial support from the “Child nurturing” project, which provided VND 6,800 per child per day to improve one main and one supplementary meal.

“With limited socialized funding and most families struggling financially, many parents constantly worried about how to provide proper meals for their children. This was also a long-standing concern for teachers here”, said Phạm Thị Huyền Trang, principal of Ma Thì Hồ Kindergarten.

That burden has now eased with the introduction of a government policy under Decree No.66/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on May 1, 2025. The policy provides a monthly lunch subsidy of VND 360,000 for eligible children in daycare programs.

Principal Trang explained that the school now organizes three meals daily: breakfast, lunch, and a light meal for toddlers. “This direct support not only ensures children get nutritious meals but also relieves parents of a major worry during school hours. Extending subsidies to children under three also helps narrow policy gaps across early childhood education.”

According to the provincial Department of Education and Training, an estimated 12,362 toddlers across Điện Biên province will benefit from this decree in the 2025-2026 school year. In addition to lunch subsidies, daycare centers will also receive over VND 1.3 million per child annually for learning materials, along with support for utilities such as electricity and water.

Another milestone: starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, preschool and general education students nationwide will be exempted from tuition fees. In Điện Biên province where about 31,000 households were still classified as poor by the end of 2024, many from ethnic minority groups, this policy is especially significant. While tuition costs have not been overly high, when combined with expenses for books, uniforms, and boarding meals, the burden has weighed heavily on struggling families.

With tuition exemptions, over 200,000 students in the province will benefit, easing financial pressure and encouraging more children to stay in school.

At its 21st session, the provincial People’s Council also approved another welfare measure: a monthly meal subsidy of VND 936,000 for boarding and semi-boarding high school seniors, along with support for accommodation and rice.

The assistance continues for one month after the school year ends, meaning that during the crucial June exam preparation period, graduating students will have more comprehensive support, both financially and emotionally.

Meanwhile, at the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly, lawmakers approved a policy to subsidize lunches for primary and lower secondary school students in border communes. The beneficiaries include both ethnic minority and Kinh students living in these areas.

The policy has been praised for its humanity and practicality, especially for students in remote highland regions where living and learning conditions remain difficult. Many schools and parents hope for swift implementation.

Phạm Thị Thu Hằng, principal of Na Sang No.1 Semi-boarding Primary School for Ethnic Minorities, said: “This year, our school has over 400 students, including 180 boarders already covered by state support. But many non-boarders also come from poor families. If all students, regardless of boarding status, receive assistance, we can better provide for them. With proper nutrition, children will be healthier, learn more effectively, and stay engaged with school. Teachers in remote areas have long hoped for this so that no student is left behind.”

Children are the future of every village, province, and the nation itself. Investing in them today is laying the foundation for sustainable growth along the country’s borderlands tomorrow. At a broader level, these new policies are not only strengthening teachers’ and administrators’ confidence but also breathing fresh energy into society at large.