The kindergarten in Truong Vinh ward apologizes for not ensuring food safety and hygiene.

The conditions for organizing a boarding school program are not yet met.

Maple Bear Arita UFO Preschool currently has approximately 400 students. They are enrolled with tuition fees ranging from 3,800 to 6,800,000 VND per month (depending on the program). In addition, they pay 55,000 VND per day for meals. Following the incident, some parents have requested to transfer their children to another school.

Previously, at the end of December 2025, the People's Committee of Truong Vinh Ward established a team to inspect the boarding school program at Vinh Tan Primary School, Vinh Tan Kindergarten, Ben Thuy Kindergarten, and Maple Bear Arita UFO Kindergarten.

According to the inspection team's conclusions, most schools have shortcomings and limitations in their boarding school operations. Specifically, regarding boarding school management and menu development, most schools have not yet established procedures and regulations for boarding school operations such as food procurement and organizing meals in classrooms.

At Vinh Tan Primary School, the inspection team assessed the menu as unscientific, lacking variety, and repetitive. Schools such as Vinh Tan Kindergarten, Vinh Tan Primary School, andPreschoolUFO has an unbalanced ratio of nutrients, low in fat and high in carbohydrates.

The number of meals at UFO School does not meet regulations. The school has also not publicly disclosed the food quantities for both children and teachers. The seating arrangement is unscientific and does not encourage children to eat, and the kitchen area is not well-organized.

Regarding the conditions for organizing daycare and contract staff, UFO Kindergarten was also assessed by the inspection team as not meeting hygiene standards in the nurturing and care of children. The arrangement of children's belongings was not reasonable and did not ensure hygiene. The one-way workflow in the kitchen was not properly implemented and was still disorganized. Some kitchen staff did not wear masks while working, some kitchen staff had not received professional training, and the food storage area was not organized scientifically.

Regarding revenue and expenditure, most of the schools inspected had inadequate and incomplete supplier selection procedures. Furthermore, at UFO Kindergarten, parents were not involved in the supplier selection process, and the school had not yet finalized the daily meal expenses. Cooking staff did not receive the minimum regional wage. There were no provisions for salary increases or insurance contributions.

In particular, regarding food hygiene and safety, the inspection team discovered that some bowls used to hold food for students at UFO School, Vinh Tan Kindergarten, and Ben Thuy Kindergarten were not clean and still had starch residue.

At UFO Kindergarten, food sample retention is inadequate and does not comply with regulations. The food storage area is disorganized and contains many unnecessary items such as papers, hats, and shirts, arranged haphazardly. Food preparation equipment is not properly separated from unprocessed and processed food.

Correcting errors

Regarding this matter, on the morning of February 26th, during a meeting with Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television, Ms. Ngo Thi Thu Huong – Principal of MB Arita UFO Kindergarten – also stated that the unfortunate incident has significantly affected the school's reputation and caused considerable dissatisfaction among many parents.

Therefore, immediately after receiving the conclusion from Truong Vinh ward, the school organized a meeting with all parents. Shortly afterward, several parents also came and noted that many of the school's lunch supplies were "unclean" and did not meet regulations. During that meeting, representatives from the kitchen and the school's management apologized for the shortcomings and committed to rectifying the deficiencies.

Elaborating on this, the school principal stated: "Our school has only been in operation for three years, so there are still some shortcomings and deficiencies in the management process. With a proactive approach, we have rectified all aspects, such as replacing some old and substandard equipment, and adding a staff member with expertise in nutrition to ensure a balanced menu for the children. In addition, the school has also added kitchen assistants to ensure the correct number, screened out staff who did not meet the standards, and replaced or supplemented them accordingly."

According to school leaders, after receiving feedback and suggestions from parents regarding the one-way kitchen process, the school has also developed a plan to address the issue, ensuring that the entire process, from food preparation to delivery to each classroom, adheres to a closed-loop system, guaranteeing food safety and hygiene. Furthermore, the school has reviewed all legal documents related to food suppliers, creating opportunities for parents to participate and contribute their opinions in the selection and evaluation of food suppliers.

During the discussion, Mr. Tran Thanh Thinh – the school's executive director – also stated: "We have seriously learned from this experience and are committed to maintaining regular and timely inspections and monitoring, rectifying any emerging issues, and reporting the results to parents."

In further discussions with Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television, Ms. Hoang Phuong Thao, Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Truong Vinh Ward, stated: "In recent times, the boarding school program has always received attention from parents. Therefore, Truong Vinh Ward has conducted inspections at many schools in the area to ensure food safety and hygiene, nutritional standards, and transparency for parents. Regarding MB Arita UFO Kindergarten, the inspection team discovered several shortcomings and requested the school to rectify them according to regulations. To date, initial assessments indicate that the school's management has been very receptive and has addressed the violations identified by the inspection team. The local authorities hope that the school will learn from this experience to improve its operations and regain the trust of parents and students."