On May 23, a video showing a meat grinder crawling with a large number of live maggots in the cafeteria of Yaobei Experimental School in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province, went viral on social media. The authorities have confirmed the authenticity of the situation. A graduate of the school, using the alias Li Xiang, revealed the conditions inside the school to a reporter.
Li Xiang, a former student of the school, expressed to the media that his younger brother, who is currently studying at the school, has been complaining of stomachaches recently. This led him to suspect that there might be issues with the school cafeteria’s food.
On May 23, the school held a “Sunshine Cafeteria” event where parents were allowed to inspect the school. One parent conducted a detailed inspection and discovered live maggots inside the meat grinder. The parent filmed the discovery and shared it in a parent group, causing uproar on the internet.
Li Xiang further disclosed that the meals for teachers and students at the school were separate, with significant differences in what they consumed. He mentioned an incident where his brother found a cockroach in the bread he was eating at school, and when the matter was raised, the parents were summoned by the school administration to discuss it privately.
On May 23, a large number of parents gathered at the school to express their dissatisfaction, demanding accountability from the school and ensuring the safety of students’ food. While school officials apologized publicly, they also requested parents not to share videos online, which only added to the parents’ discontent.
According to Li Xiang, teachers were silencing parents and not allowing them to share anything on social media platforms. Any negative comments about the school uniform quality were swiftly dealt with, with teachers making phone calls to have them removed. The Parents’ Committee now sides with the teachers, and some parents, whose children study with teachers, refused to accomodate requests to dine with them.
Li Xiang revealed that there were also reports of the school’s water dispensers having discolored water on May 24.
In response to the situation, the market supervision authority has initiated an investigation into the school, leading to the suspension of several officials including the deputy director in charge of the education bureau and the director of the local market supervision office, the principal of the school being suspended for inspection, and the dismissal of the deputy principal. The school was instructed to dismiss the person in charge of the elementary school cafeteria management immediately. A special task force has been established to oversee the school’s operations.
Li Xiang believes that the exposure of these incidents came too late. He suffered from frequent stomach pains in elementary school, which parents misunderstood as an unwillingness to attend school. By bringing these issues to light, he feels vindicated. However, the unresolved health issues, from stomach pain to loss of appetite for lunch, have now developed into a chronic stomach condition that cannot be easily treated.
Furthermore, some parents disclosed that the contractor for the school’s cafeteria had a particularly close relationship with both the former and current principals of Yaobei Experimental School. It was reported that the contractor, previously of modest means, significantly improved their financial situation after taking over the cafeteria, even purchasing a house in Shanghai. These revelations have raised suspicions among parents regarding potential corruption within the school administration.
Li Xiang also mentioned that during his time at the school, he found the food unappetizing, with the standard meal consisting of two dishes, rice, soup, and fruit. Students were required to finish at least one dish, with points deducted if leftovers remained.
Reflecting on his experience, Li Xiang recalled that he once considered the cafeteria relatively clean during his school days. However, he acknowledged that children were not discerning enough to evaluate the quality of the food, often attributing any issues to minor mistakes such as overcooking. He concluded with a proverbial saying, “When you see one mouse, there’s likely a nest already.”
Ironically, the official website of Yuyao City Government highlights Yaobei Experimental School as the first nine-year integrated public rural school established in September 2008, having been recognized with honors such as Grade A cafeteria and as a food safety demonstration school in Zhejiang Province.