Mandatory disclosure of revenue and expenditure information on school websites: A dangerous move against overcharging and linking teaching and learning

Intentionally concealing information to overcharge and illegally teach extra classes

Websites of some public schools in Hanoi hardly publicize information on income and expenditure, making it difficult to know the timetable, information on the school's income and expenditure at the beginning of the year, and the kitchen menu, even though this information is required to be public.

For example, Thai Thinh Primary School, Dong Da District, Hanoi, the timetable on the website has been updated since 2012. Similarly, on the website of Thanh Cong A Primary School, the above information is not found. The fact that schools do not choose to publicize information on the website is one of the ways many schools deliberately conceal overcharging and joint teaching activities during regular school hours. Trying to minimize publicity on the website is a way to "neutralize" social supervision to "act freely" in revenue and expenditure, and extra teaching and learning.

Mandatory disclosure of admission information on school website. Rarely, students are admitted to the school. Link to learning model 1 — Overcharging becomes a problem at the beginning of the new school year (illustrative photo - internet source).

Mr. Nguyen Quang Anh in Dong Da, Hanoi, said that it is necessary to publicize information such as income and expenditure at the beginning of the year, and timetables on the website so that management agencies, people and social organizations can monitor school activities. It is impossible to require public disclosure but the school does not post information on the website. So, how can society monitor school activities?

Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Le Thi Hoa in Nam Tu Liem said that in reality, the school always shares information with parents. But she wants the school to post it publicly on the website so that everyone knows. Any school that does not post it on the website shows that it has a problem and wants to hide it.

In practice, it is only when the press gets involved that many cases of overcharging, forcing students to take extra classes, and organizing illegal joint teaching and learning are exposed. However, the cases reported by the press are only a small part of the current picture of overcharging.

The Ministry requires public disclosure on the website

Understanding the calculations of schools, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) recently announced a draft Circular regulating the publicity in the activities of educational institutions in the national education system, replacing Circular 36/2017/TT-BGDDT. In the draft, according to Associate Professor Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Department of Quality Management of the Ministry of Education and Training , regarding the form and time of publicity, the Draft Circular has removed the regulation that educational institutions must post public content at the educational institution (except for preschools that do not have an electronic information portal), but instead fully publicize the content as prescribed in this Circular on the electronic information portal of the educational institution.

In addition, the Draft also stipulates more specifically the time for public disclosure on the electronic information portal of educational institutions is at least 5 consecutive years from the date of public announcement. The time for public posting at educational institutions is at least 90 days and after posting, the public content must be retained to ensure access to information for at least 5 years from the date of public posting.

“Transparency in commitments on quality, quality assurance conditions; financial revenues and expenditures at educational institutions and other relevant information of educational institutions so that cadres, lecturers, teachers, workers, learners, families and society know and participate in monitoring the activities of educational institutions, this is the main purpose of publicity.

Publicly comply with legal regulations but simplify public information, limit the updating of detailed technical data, duplicate content, reduce forms to contribute to administrative reform. It is one of the bases for state management agencies to check, inspect, and supervise the implementation of responsibilities and accountability of educational institutions" - Mr. Huynh Van Chuong emphasized.

Deploy as soon as possible

Discussing this draft of the Ministry of Education and Training, speaking with reporters of the Journalist & Public Opinion Newspaper, Dr. Le Thi Huong, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province, said that publicity is a mandatory requirement in schools today.

She said that before the draft Circular regulating transparency in the operations of educational institutions in the national education system required public disclosure of revenues and expenditures and many other information on the school's website, many units had already done this.

Transparency is a mandatory requirement in schools, and now it is very reasonable to make it public on the website. “I fully support schools making it public on the website. Previously, schools made it public at the educational institution for parents to understand, but now, making it more public on the website will make the educational environment more transparent, society will understand more about education and accompany the school” - Dr. Le Thi Huong emphasized.

According to the Director of the Department of Education and Training, there is no need to wait for the draft Circular regulating the transparency in the activities of educational institutions in the national education system (replacing Circular 36/2017/TT-BGDDT) to take effect before schools can make it public on their websites. "I think it is necessary that the beginning of the year fees, timetables, and extra teaching and learning fees should be made public from now on. That will increase transparency in education, creating more consensus in society towards schools and education" - the Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province stated his opinion.

Through discussions with parents, local education leaders and the Ministry, it was shown that transparency in educational institutions is mandatory. Mandatory website disclosure will put an end to the situation where schools hide information to overcharge and organize illegal extra classes.

Publicly contribute to the fight against overcharging in schools

According to the Director of the Department of Quality Management (Ministry of Education and Training), the fight against overcharging in schools, and more broadly, the fight against corruption, is regulated by many relevant legal documents, in which this Circular (if issued) is an important basis for officials, lecturers, teachers, workers, students, families and society to know and participate in monitoring the activities of educational institutions, and at the same time is one of the bases for state management agencies to inspect and examine the implementation of responsibilities and accountability of educational institutions. Thereby, the issuance of this Circular will have a contribution/impact on.

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