PRACHINBURI — A school director is being transferred for suspected involvement in a school lunch that contained rotten eggs.
Baan Khlong 12 School in Kabinburi district rose to infamy over the weekend due to allegations that the school director instructed staff to remove rotten eggs in a palo five-spice soup, wash them, and re-boil them in a new soup for a school lunch.
Local Prachinburi pages shared the news that students noticed the unusually sour taste of palo on July 30, when the dish was allegedly served.
Monday morning, around 50 students came to school holding signs that read, “Get out, school director” and “I’m not eating recycled palo.”
A lunch monitor, who spoke to Khaosod anonymously, reported that she noticed that the pot of palo had a strange smell and bubbles as she was preparing it on the night of July 29, so she informed teacher Nichapath Payakapol about it. Nichapath then informed the director, who in turn told the monitor to empty the soup, wash the eggs, and put them in a new soup to serve on July 30.
“I felt bad about it. I felt sorry for the kids but I couldn’t say anything,” she said.
Nichapath said that she was not informed that the soup was rotten.
A parent told Khaosod that teachers have threatened the students not to tell their parents about the lunch conditions at school. One mom accused the school of mixing cooked rice that children bring from home to serve.
“Even dogs eat better,” she said.
Wallop Prawatwong, Kabinburi district chief, and other local officials arrived at the school Monday to announce that the issue will be investigated. Meanwhile, school director Pongthorn Aranwitthayanukul will be transferred from his post.
Pongthorn has denied the allegations that the soup was rotten.
“This is false. It’s a falsehood spun to destroy our school’s reputation,” he said.
Pongthorn said the school serves palo soup with chicken, not pork. He said the photos of the offending food show pork in the palo soup, and that palo wasn’t even on the menu that day.
The school is attended by about 350 students from kindergarten to Matthayom 3. It is staffed by 18 teachers.