Is it easy to implement tuition fee waivers or reductions?

Đảng Cộng Sản•25/10/2023

In the 2022-2023 school year, seven provinces and cities nationwide implemented tuition fee exemption for high school students: Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Bac Kan, Can Tho , and Quang Binh.

For the 2023-2024 school year, five provinces and cities will continue to provide free tuition for high school students: Hai Phong, Da Nang , Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ha Nam, and Quang Binh.

Funding for implementation must be secured from provincial and district budgets in accordance with the State Budget Law and the current decentralization of revenue sources and expenditure responsibilities of local budgets.

To provide tuition-free education for preschool children, students in public and private primary and secondary schools, and students at continuing education centers for the 2023-2024 school year, the Da Nang City People's Council has to budget nearly 410 billion VND, of which over 316 billion VND is allocated for tuition-free education for students in public schools and 92.2 billion VND to support students in private schools.

Hai Phong City plans to spend over 400 billion VND from its local budget to waive tuition fees for all students attending preschool, primary, secondary, and high schools in the city.

This school year, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province plans to spend approximately 330 billion VND on tuition fee exemption for students at all levels. Of this amount, 190 billion VND will be allocated to support tuition fee reductions for 5-year-old children and secondary school students (primary school students are exempt from tuition fees according to the law).

The Quang Binh Provincial People's Council has just passed a resolution on tuition fee exemption for the 2023-2024 school year. According to this resolution, students in ethnic minority areas, border regions, mountainous areas, and particularly disadvantaged communes in coastal and lowland areas will be exempt from tuition fees for the entire school year. In other areas, students will be exempt from tuition fees for the first semester. Public preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education institutions experiencing a reduction in tuition fee revenue will receive financial support from the budget.

Mr. Tran Hai Chau, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council of Quang Binh, said that despite many difficulties and the serious impacts of natural disasters, especially the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, the province has made great efforts to implement policies to support tuition fees to alleviate the burden on the people. This regulation was carefully developed by advisory agencies based on a review of the practical experience of tuition fee exemptions in the past two academic years; it is consistent with the socio-economic conditions of the province and the aspirations of students and parents; and it demonstrates the sharing and support of the Party Committee and the government with the people.

This is the second consecutive year that Quang Binh province has waived tuition fees for students. This school year, the province has approximately 580 schools with over 233,500 students at all levels, with tuition fees ranging from 80,000 to 370,000 VND per month. According to Mr. Chau, the preliminary estimated cost to implement the tuition fee waiver for the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year in the locality is over 70 billion VND.

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former Director of the Department of Professional Education, Ministry of Education and Training, said that any nation that cares for education will be a powerful nation, and the same applies to localities. Quang Binh is not a wealthy province compared to some other provinces and cities, but the decision to waive tuition fees for all levels of general education is very welcome and appreciated.

When deciding to waive tuition fees, Quang Binh province balanced its budget to ensure coverage, and may have long-term commitments from philanthropists. This requires the Party, Government, and People's Council leaders, along with the people of Quang Binh, to carefully allocate funds for education and limit investment in projects that do not yield significant results.

From the perspective of a parent with two children attending preschool and middle school in Hanoi, Ms. Tran Phuong Thao (Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi) shared: Currently, she has to pay 600,000 VND per month in tuition fees for both children, which is double the amount from the previous school year. Both she and her husband are civil servants, with a combined income of only about 19 million VND per month. Besides tuition fees, other expenses such as food, books, and extra classes consume more than half of their family's monthly income.

"With the meager salaries of civil servants, I hope that the Hanoi authorities will consider, if not waiving tuition fees, then reducing tuition fees for preschool children to ease the financial burden on my family amidst the current inflation," Ms. Thao expressed.

The reality is that many provinces and cities would love to waive tuition fees for preschool and secondary school students, but they are unable to do so due to budget constraints.

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