Chinese kindergarten head sacked for watering down children’s milk in latest food scandal to hit country
- Head admits to scrimping on food budget to make money after she is confronted by angry parents
- Case is latest case involving schools and nurseries that try to boost their profits by giving children poor-quality meals
A kindergarten head in southwest China has been sacked after she was caught watering down the children’s milk – the latest food scandal to hit the country’s nursery and primary schools.
Parents started to complain after pupils at Wenguzhai Kindergarten in Dali, Yunnan province, was given milk that had no taste, the news portal Thepaper.cn reported.
When confronted several days later, the head, a woman surnamed Chen, admitted that she had ordered the kitchen staff to water down the milk over a four-day period last month.
She also confessed, in a video clip shot by a parent and widely circulated online, that she had tried to save money by buying poor-quality food and less meat for the children’s meals.
“It’s my fault,” said Chen. “I own a 30 per cent stake in this kindergarten. Spending less on the canteen translates into more profit for me.”
Chen said in the video that she was ready to shoulder all the “blame, curses and responsibility”, and offered to resign and never work in the education industry again.