"Instead of offering free meals, the 3-yuan subsidy is used to improve the quality," Yang Dingzhong, deputy director of the provincial education department, told the People's Daily.
Yang could not explain why the meals only contained a slice bread as the Weibo user claimed, stressing that the provincial government ordered the funding only be used to improve food safety and canteen conditions.
Xiong Bingqi, an education expert based in Shanghai, told the Global Times Monday the meal program needs to be better administered.
"A system to monitor these funds is badly needed," he said.
Chen Pingfan, a public interest lawyer based in Hunan Province, submitted a request Monday to disclose details on how contracts to provide the meals are being tendered.
"The bidding process needs to be more transparent, we need to know who the participants are and who is providing the meals," Chen said. "It's sad that we have to count on volunteer teachers to uncover the problem."
The volunteer teacher has received some 18,000 yuan in donations from netizens to help her improve the children's meals.
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