A multitude of worries at the beginning of the new school year.

As the new school year begins, along with the excitement of children going to school, parents are burdened with worry. Besides the obvious expenses like clothes, books, school supplies, and tuition fees, parents also have to contribute money jokingly referred to as "voluntary" donations.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, a small business owner in Kim Tan ward, Lao Cai city, confided: "Every time the new school year starts, I worry about paying tuition for my children. My two children, one in grade 2 and the other in grade 8, had to pay nearly 3 million VND last year, including money collected by the parent-teacher association as 'voluntary' contributions for various purposes: building facilities, class fund, parent fund, drinking water, environmental sanitation, bicycle parking, security... I think with the high prices this year, the initial contributions might be even higher!"

At this time, most schools in the area have not yet held parent-teacher meetings, so there are no reports yet regarding school fees for this academic year. However, concerns about voluntary contributions remain a worry for parents.

According to the new regulations of the Department of Education and Training, parents have the right to refuse contributions requested by the Parent-Teacher Association of the class or school if they do not adhere to the principle of voluntariness and are not in accordance with the expenditure agreed upon by the parents.

Ms. Hoang Thi Lan, from Bac Cuong ward, whose child attends primary school, said: "I know that the Parents' Representative Committee's fundraising for students is completely voluntary and not coercive. However, with the meager salaries of my husband and I, both civil servants, I am still very worried about that 'voluntary' contribution!"

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For schools in rural areas, voluntary contributions may be less, but Hoang Thi Oanh and her husband, farmers in Gia Phu commune (Bao Thang district), whose child is 5 years old and attends kindergarten, still had to sell pigs, chickens, and rice just to have enough money to pay for their child's tuition.

In a discussion with us on this issue, Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, Chief of the Office of the Department of Education and Training, stated: In recent times, the mobilization of resources from organizations and individuals to invest in infrastructure and equipment installation at schools in the area has yielded many positive results, aiming to build green, clean, and beautiful school facilities, contributing to improving the overall quality of education. However, in reality, the mobilization of resources for education still reveals some concerning issues such as: in some educational institutions, the collection of fees is not voluntary and not commensurate with people's income; there is still a situation of excessive fees at some public educational institutions; the use of contribution funds is not reasonable, clear, or transparent, causing dissatisfaction among the public and parents.

To address the above situation and strictly implement the Prime Minister's Directive on strengthening and rectifying the implementation of legal regulations on fees and charges, and policies on mobilizing and using contributions from the people, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee issued a document directing departments, agencies, the People's Committees of districts and cities, and educational institutions in the province to seriously implement the following specific contents: For fees collected according to regulations (tuition fees, charges) of the Provincial People's Committee, primary school students are not required to pay tuition fees; while awaiting the new tuition fee rates, students in kindergartens, junior high schools, high schools, and supplementary high school students will continue to collect fees according to Decision No. 15/2004/QD-UB of the Provincial People's Committee on adjusting tuition and charge rates for educational institutions in the province; students who are children of policy beneficiaries will receive preferential treatment. Regarding contributions agreed upon between the school and parents, schools are required to be democratic and transparent, providing written agreements to each parent outlining both the amount collected and the details of expenditures. The principle is to collect the full amount and spend it correctly according to each item, on a voluntary basis and with the consensus of the school's management board. For schools with boarding classes or classes with two sessions per day, related to students' meals and accommodation, the school must discuss and agree on the details of collection and expenditure with parents. Agreed-upon fees include: food, boarding care, catering services, lunchtime supervision, personal supplies (for schools with boarding facilities), drinking water, sanitation, electricity, water, security, etc. In addition, students will also have to pay some "collected on behalf of" fees, including personal accident insurance, health insurance, and youth group/team funds. In the guidelines for strengthening the management of revenue and expenditure in schools for the 2011-2012 school year, the Department of Education and Training requires that all school fees must be publicly announced in writing to each parent, detailing the amounts and expenditures. The principle is to collect sufficient funds and spend according to each item, on a voluntary basis and with the consensus of the school's management board. Misappropriation of funds is strictly prohibited, and the establishment of funds to force parents to contribute under the guise of voluntary contributions is forbidden.

Parents' contributions to their children's education are a family responsibility and a necessary investment in the future. This also aligns with the Party and State's policy on the socialization of education. However, how these contributions should be made, at what level, and for what purpose, requires active involvement from local authorities and relevant departments, especially the education and training departments of districts and cities, and the People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns. This ensures that contributions are appropriate to the circumstances and conditions of each locality, maximize social effectiveness, and prevent the misuse of "voluntary" contributions for excessive fees, which could negatively impact the overall movement.

Thu Phuong - LCĐT

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Source: http://laocai.edu.vn/tin-noi-bo/bon-be-noi-lo-dau-nam-hoc-moi-142650