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Students at a boarding school in the central province of Nghe An's mountainous district of Ky Son have to forage in the forest to find enough to eat because their daily government allowance for meals is inadequate.

DTiNews found during a visit to Na Ngoi Secondary School in Ky Son District that the meals of students consisted of rice, some vegetables picked from the nearby forest, chili pepper and ginger.

The school students are mostly Mong and Kho Mu ethnic minority people. The Ministry of Education and Training provides daily support of VND17,000 (USD0.8) for each to cover meals.

Nguyen The Hien, headmaster of Na Ngoi Secondary School, said that "We can only provide a simple breakfast, lunch and dinner for each student on week days."

At weekends, the students have to find their own meals. They often go to the nearby forest to pick vegetables, relying on rice brought from their homes.

Xong Ba Po, a student of Class 8C, said it takes him at least 3 hours from school to his home. His famiy is poor and his mother can only provide him rice.

"I usually go to the forest to pick vegetables and ginger for meals. I and my friends mix the ginger with salt," Po said.

Many other students have only rice and chili pepper mixed with salt for their weekend meals.