The latest issue of China Discipline and Supervision magazine has revealed a case in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, where a school cafeteria manager embezzled over one million RMB, even taking kickbacks for a loaf of bread in the school’s snack bar.
The article titled “Continuing to deepen the rectification of campus catering in Mianyang, Sichuan” describes the case of Wu, the former cafeteria manager at Pingwu Middle School, as a typical example of corruption in campus dining.
Initially, Pingwu Middle School contracted the cafeteria to a catering company from Chengdu, where Wu was an employee. In August 2019, he was hired as the cafeteria manager. Within just two months, Wu began using his authority to embezzle funds from the school cafeteria.
Wu long received kickbacks from cafeteria, snack bar suppliers, and operators, directly leading to a decline in food quality and seriously harming the interests of the students.
According to the investigation, Wu is suspected of accepting bribes, kickbacks, and embezzling over 1.02 million RMB from the cafeteria funds. Eventually, Wu’s employment agreement was terminated by Pingwu Middle School, and his alleged criminal issues were referred to the prosecution for review and prosecution.
Additionally, students at Guanyi Junior Middle School complained about the food quality, having to buy Laoganma chili sauce to complement their meals. Surprise checks revealed that the meals provided to teachers were rich in meat and of good quality, with lower prices compared to the students’ meals.
The problem of “downsizing” and embezzlement of food costs in campus dining in primary and secondary schools in mainland China has a long history.
In April of this year, media reported details of the case of Zhao Mengsuo, former principal of Fenshixian No.2 Middle School in Linfen, Shanxi, who intercepted and misappropriated over 4.2 million RMB in school cafeteria meal expenses.
Investigations found that after Zhao took up the post of principal at Fenshixian No.2 Middle School in 2021, he discovered discrepancies between reported meal expenses and actual spending, exploiting institutional loopholes for personal gain.
During Zhao’s tenure as principal, the total amount allocated for purchasing ingredients at Fenshixian No.2 Middle School was over 10.72 million RMB, of which over 4.2 million RMB was misappropriated, accounting for around 40%. Issues included substandard ingredients, vegetarian dishes served instead of meat, and unclear whereabouts of excess food inventory, with less than 60% of the supplies reaching the students’ mouths.