Minister Nguyen Kim Son: Admissions in Hanoi no longer have the scene of 'lining up and closing doors'

This afternoon, the National Assembly discussed the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on tuition exemption and support for preschool children, high school students, and people studying generaleducation programs.

The new point of the draft is that the State will support tuition fees for both preschool children and high school students studying at private educational institutions.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Lan ( Hanoi ) said that exempting tuition fees at public schools could cause a sharp increase in the number of students transferring from private schools to public schools, leading to the risk of overload.

Delegates proposed to supplement regulations or assign the Government to develop a synchronous investment plan for facilities and teacher staffing to ensure truly uniform training quality.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Lan. Photo: Hoang Ha

Ms. Lan stated that in reality there are several types of high-quality public educational institutions, gifted schools, experimental practice schools, and private schools.

"So, how is the tuition-free policy implemented?", the delegate asked. According to Ms. Lan, the resolution has not yet clearly stated the regulations for the above types.

Delegate Bui Hoai Son (Hanoi) said that the total budget cost needed to supplement tuition fee exemption is about 8,200 billion VND per year. With Hanoi's large population and high school density, the budget will certainly be under great pressure.

However, the delegate emphasized that this is the right, accurate and worthy investment. Because it not only helps reduce the financial burden on families, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic and in the context of escalating living costs, but also has a spillover effect on social consumption, strengthens trust in the regime, and creates a foundation for future human resources.

Mr. Son proposed that the National Assembly and the Government need to have a mechanism along with the tuition exemption policy to ensure the quality of education.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Council Nguyen Ngoc Tuan said that in addition to the tuition exemption policy, General Secretary To Lam assigned the city to further study the issue of free and subsidized lunches for students.

The City People's Committee is researching to report to the City Party Committee and People's Council on this issue. Mr. Tuan affirmed that this is a very humane and meaningful policy and Hanoi is very responsible in implementing it.

Speaking later, in response to concerns that tuition exemptions could lead to students switching from private to public schools, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son pointed out that the proportion of public schools is very high. Non-public schools in Hanoi are also willing to invest and have to "wait a long line" in enrollment.

Since 2024, the capital's education sector has done a very important job of recruiting students online, which is also a progress in the capital's education.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son. Photo: Hoang Ha

The Capital Education Department has switched to online enrollment, "without queuing or rushing to the door like before"; but the numbers show that the number of students entering private schools in Hanoi is under no less pressure than public schools.

Mr. Son also said: "Of course, this concern must be considered, but the reality of enrollment in recent years shows that this concern is not too big."

Regarding tuition support for non-public students, the Minister said that the People's Councils of provinces and cities will determine the tuition level to support public schools. At that time, students of non-public schools will be supported at the same level.

Regarding the form of payment, for public schools, the State will directly provide funds to the school based on the number of students. For non-public schools, the State will not pay tuition fees for students but will partially support them by providing funds directly to students.

This option is also suitable in the current digital transformation conditions. The Minister said that currently, 10 localities nationwide have implemented tuition exemption. For localities that cannot balance their budgets, the State will use the central budget to compensate.

Accordingly, a total of more than 30,000 billion VND to implement tuition exemption has been calculated for provinces and cities that have not yet balanced their budgets.

Regarding the proposal to exempt tuition fees and limit the collection of other fees in schools, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that extra teaching and learning in schools only applies to three groups including weak students, gifted students, and students preparing for graduation exams.

Consideration of support for schools and teachers will depend on each locality but in principle it is the responsibility of the school.

In his conclusion, the General Secretary directed the Ministry to develop a plan to organize a second class for students, without collecting any fees or tuition. The Ministry is implementing the plan to apply it from the new school year.

According to the Minister of Education and Training, all are moving towards public general education without tuition fees.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bo-truong-nguyen-kim-son-tuyen-sinh-o-ha-noi-khong-con-canh-xep-hang-do-cua-2403866.html