Trang: The quality of state-subsidised school lunches in Huai Yot district has been found to be substandard and lacking nutritional value, according to the results of a check by the provincial National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) office.
An NACC team assigned by provincial office director-general Bundit Khanasuwan visited a school in tambon Paak Jaem, where students were reportedly served poor-quality lunches.
The school offers classes to 250 students in kindergarten to Matthayom 3 (Grade 9).
It is supervised by Trang Primary Education Service Area 2.
The government provides a budget of 22 baht per student lunch. The budget is disbursed via the Paak Jaem Sub-district Administrative Office to a hired cook.
However, it was reported that the NACC found the cook prepared the lunches onsite, using the school's electricity and running water, despite a contract stipulating that meals must be prepared outside and be brought to the school ready to eat.
The agency said it discovered the school had also made a record of the cook "donating" 300 baht per day towards water and electricity costs.
On the day of the NACC inspection, the school wrote to the board that each student's lunch consisted of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and pork, chicken soup and a banana.
When the lunch was distributed, the portion of pork and chicken was small, with guava substituted for bananas, Yutthana Wimonmuang, an NACC senior official in Trang, said.
The inspectors said students there were not receiving sufficient nutrition due to a lack of protein.
The school director, identified as Ms Arunsri, told the inspectors that teachers take turns each day designing lunch menus and evaluating quality.
The menus are prepared in accordance with government guidelines, which accounts for the student portions, she said, adding vegetables are regularly used. Students are offered fruit four days a week and dessert once a week, she said.
Mr Yutthana said the school must ensure the cook does not under-spend the budget or cut corners.
The office looked for any signs of corruption in the lunch budget, he added.
