Should students only be encouraged to create small projects?

The Hai Phong City Department of Education and Training's decision to prohibit schools from soliciting donations from students for charity has received widespread public support. Simultaneously, many have debated whether it's appropriate to encourage students to participate in charity work, or if it should only be done on a small scale.

For a long time, many schools have been encouraging students to contribute to charity in various forms, including collecting cash donations, especially after Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi ). This has met with disapproval from many parents, but many still accept the idea of ​​their children contributing financially. Many argue that students don't earn enough money to contribute to charity, and that if donations are collected, the funds will ultimately come from the parents' own pockets.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hanh, from Hong Tien commune (Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province ), said: "It's very unreasonable to ask students to donate money to charity. They are still in school, so where would they get the money to donate? If we ask them to donate, they'll just go home and ask their parents, who have already contributed at their workplaces, organizations, and neighborhoods. Having to spend more money on them to donate is completely illogical. But if other children don't donate, it's difficult for our children, and the biggest concern is the psychological impact on them. So parents have to force themselves to give their children money to donate."

Students should be encouraged to create small educational projects that instill in them love for their fellow citizens and the spirit of mutual support and compassion.

Ms. Hoang Thi Ngan, from Hai Duong City, Hai Duong Province, shared: "I don't object to encouraging students to do charity work, as it's a way to educate them about compassion and mutual support. However, I don't support asking them to donate money. The money would ultimately be paid by their parents, not the children themselves. I only support small projects where students contribute items like used but still good clothes and shoes, or old books that are no longer used, to be sold to raise funds for disadvantaged areas. That's a very reasonable and meaningful approach."

Recently, the story of the fundraising campaign at Le Quy Don Primary School (Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) to support people in the North affected by Typhoon No. 3 has caused outrage among parents and the public. The school's regulations stipulated that students who donated over 100,000 VND would receive a certificate of merit, while those who donated less than 100,000 VND would only receive a letter of commendation. Perhaps thanks to this, the school received over 268 million VND in donations from students in 45 classes during the fundraising period.

When many parents reacted, Mr. Trinh Vinh Thanh, Head of the Education and Training Department of Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, had to speak out to affirm that the Department did not instruct the school in this activity, nor did it agree with the school's approach.

"This was an action taken by the school itself, causing negative public opinion. Therefore, the school principal must take responsibility. I have requested the school to submit a report to the Department of Education and Training tomorrow," Mr. Thanh informed.

In contrast to the approach of Le Quy Don Primary School, the Hai Phong City Department of Education and Training has issued a document requiring educational institutions in the area to strengthen the management of revenue collection in the field of education and training for the 2024-2025 school year following Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi).

In this regard, the Department of Education and Training of Hai Phong City emphasized: "Given the difficulties faced by the people after Typhoon No. 3, no fundraising from parents of students will be organized. The mobilization, acceptance, management, and use of other aid and sponsorship sources must comply with the regulations of Circular No. 16/2018/TT-BGDĐT dated August 3, 2018, of the Ministry of Education and Training on sponsorship for educational institutions belonging to the national education system and other regulations of Hai Phong City."

The Department of Education and Training also requested schools to review and assess the situation in order to promptly support, waive, or reduce fees for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. They were also asked to postpone or delay the collection of fees; not to collect monthly or semester-based fees all at once; and not to collect multiple fees simultaneously.

Ms. Trinh Thi Duyen, a parent of a student in Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, said: "The issuance of this document by the Hai Phong City Department of Education and Training is met with great approval and support from us citizens, aligning with our aspirations. Currently, the economy is difficult, and we already have many expenses to worry about at the beginning of the school year. Now, with additional expenses, it's a huge burden for us. Therefore, we find the actions of the Hai Phong City Department of Education and Training to be very much in line with our wishes."

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/chi-nen-khuyen-khich-hoc-sinh-lam-ke-hoach-nho-20240927232307392.htm