Issuing fees for educational support services: Ensuring transparency

GD&TĐ - The issuance of service fees for educational support activities by many localities from the 2025-2026 school year is expected to create a positive impact on learners.

Positive signal

At the 28th session of the 16th Hanoi City People's Council, a Resolution was passed stipulating the list of revenue items and rates, and the mechanism for managing revenue and expenditure for services supporting education and training activities at public preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education institutions (excluding high-quality public education institutions).

The maximum fees include: Student meal service: 20,000 VND/student/day for breakfast and 35,000 VND/student/day for lunch. Boarding care service: 235,000 VND/student/month; boarding equipment service (tools, equipment, shared items and personal belongings): 200,000 VND/child/school year for preschool, 133,000 VND/student/school year for primary and secondary school; transportation service by car: 10,000 VND/student/km...

Tuition fees for in-person learning: For children attending nursery and kindergarten (excluding 5-year-old preschoolers), high school students, and continuing education students in wards, the fee is 217,000 VND/child/month; the fee in communes is 95,000 VND/child/month. For 5-year-old preschoolers, primary school, secondary school, and continuing education students in wards, the tuition fee is 155,000 VND/child/month; the fee in communes is 75,000 VND/child/month…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, residing in Ha Dong ward, whose children are in kindergarten (aged 5) and grade 3, shared: “I strongly agree with the city's decision to set a ceiling on the list of fees for students during the school year. We don't mind paying for our children's expenses, as long as the fees are reasonable. Many families are struggling financially, and with each school collecting fees differently and lacking oversight from higher authorities, parents are hesitant to voice their opinions, even though they are very upset.”

According to Ms. Nguyen Kim Dung, Principal of Van Canh Secondary School (An Khanh, Hanoi ), the city's resolution will help public schools increase their autonomy and proactiveness in using funds to serve students, without relying entirely on the state budget. Policy beneficiaries, poor households, and near-poor households will still be considered for exemption or partial reduction of these support service fees. This is a key point to ensure the policy remains humane.

According to Master of Science and psychologist Le Thanh Tung, Director of the Institute of Educational Psychology and Training (IPET), specifying the exact fee levels through resolutions of the Provincial/City People's Council helps legitimize these fees. This also provides a legal basis for schools to collect, submit, and use these funds, ensuring greater transparency compared to the previous methods of collection through agreements or solicitations.

These revenues help schools maintain essential services (electricity, water, sanitation, facilities) when tuition fees cease. Without compensatory revenue, the quality of the learning environment will inevitably be affected, impacting students. When schools have transparent and stable revenue streams, they can invest better in services, ensuring a safer and more effective learning environment for students.

Teachers and students of Ly Thuong Kiet Primary School (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi). Photo: Dinh Tue

Close monitoring is required.

From an expert's perspective, Associate Professor Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen - former Director of the Institute of Educational Management Research (Academy of Educational Management), emphasized that for tuition fee exemption and reduction policies to be truly effective and for service fees supporting educational activities not to become a new "straitjacket," adjustments and comprehensive solutions from multiple parties are needed.

The state, through central and local budgets, needs to increase recurrent spending on education, especially on electricity, water, and sanitation. Tuition fee exemptions must be fully reimbursed by the budget. Only when the budget can cover basic operating costs should "service" fees be reduced to a reasonable level.

"In particular, it is necessary to establish a mechanism for strict control, transparency, and supervision from parents and People's Councils at all levels to avoid the situation of 'free tuition but increased other fees' such as voluntary contributions, uniforms, soft skills training, boarding... If not properly controlled, the policy may lose its effectiveness and cause resentment among the people," Associate Professor Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen suggested.

Ms. Phan Thi Hang Hai, Principal of Kim Ngoc High School (Vinh Yen, Phu Tho), acknowledges that the policy of waiving or supporting tuition fees and learning expenses for students in many localities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh , Gia Lai, etc., is considered a humane policy, in line with people's wishes, and of significant strategic importance.

"This significantly reduces the economic pressure on millions of families, especially poor, near-poor, and low-income households. At the same time, it ensures the right to education for all children, increases equal access to education, and limits the number of students who have to drop out of school due to economic reasons," Ms. Phan Thi Hang Hai further emphasized.

In addition, according to Ms. Hang Hai, the Ministry of Education and Training also needs to research and issue clear regulations on the ceiling and list of services that are allowed to be collected. This will help control the situation where localities and schools arbitrarily raise the collection rate too high, causing a burden for parents.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Son - Principal of Hai Xuan Secondary School (Hai Xuan, Ninh Binh), stated his opinion: Each locality needs to have a mechanism to closely inspect and check the implementation of agreed fees, ensuring that parents are truly given a choice.

We also need to establish a comprehensive support package that not only waives tuition fees, but also covers the cost of textbooks, uniforms, and part of the boarding service costs for students from poor, near-poor, or families with especially difficult circumstances.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/ban-hanh-muc-thu-dich-vu-ho-tro-giao-duc-bao-dam-minh-bach-post759813.html