A southern Vietnamese kindergarten principal has been demoted to vice principal for embezzling student meal funds.

Le Thi Tuyet Anh was punished last week after inspectors in Binh Phuoc Province found that she had colluded with subordinates to misappropriate VND90 million (US$4,300) from the daily meal fees of preschoolers at Hoa Sen Kindergarten in 2011-12.

Anh herself took VND22 million ($1,050) while the rest was divided among vice principal Nguyen Thi Khanh Van and another accountant.

The principal then worked with the accountant to illegally set up three funds and stole VND185 million ($8,850).

Authorities have also given a warning to Van, who is now principal of another kindergarten.

Last month the principal and vice principal of another southern school were arrested for misusing student scholarships.

The two were discovered joining hands with two cashiers and one accountant at Cao Ba Quat Middle School in An Giang Province to pocket an estimated VND1.3 billion ($62,200) from the school’s scholarship fund. 

Local authorities have yet to announce their investigative results.