I met the principal at the school where students only pay 10,000 VND per month in school fees.

(NLĐO) - "At school, teachers and parents only talk about professional matters and the children's studies. Taking money from parents is a headache, I'm not interested in that..."

At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, amidst news of school fees and class funds causing outrage, and "excessive fees" creeping into every corner of schools, burdening many parents with worries, one school in Ho Chi Minh City went against the trend - not collecting school funds, only 10,000 VND per student per month to cover water costs.

The story, which seems fictional, has been true for many years at Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School (Binh Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). Principal Dinh Phu Cuong stated: "The school hasn't collected any funds for many years. Taking money from parents is a headache; I'm not interested in that..."

Reporter: Sir, is it true that students only pay 10,000 VND per month at a prestigious school in Ho Chi Minh City?

Teacher Dinh Phu Cuong : That's right, at Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School, for many years we have not collected any kind of fund whatsoever, absolutely no fund called a parent fund, school fund, or class fund.

Mr. Dinh Phu Cuong, Principal of Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School

Many people wonder, how would the school operate without those funding sources? As a public school, it receives state funding to pay salaries and cover operating expenses. This allocated budget essentially covers the school's basic operations. Even if the state waives tuition fees for students, the school receives subsidies afterward. Furthermore, the school utilizes revenue sources authorized by the City People's Council, all of which are clear and transparent according to financial regulations. I believe that is sufficient.

To put it simply, in the time when teachers were students, they didn't have as many opportunities as they do now. There were many shortages and difficulties, from schools and classrooms to food, learning conditions, and living arrangements, but they didn't let that discourage them.

Students of Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School participating in an activity.

Because the water bill is subsidized by the government, students at the school who do not take intensive English classes or are not boarding students only pay 10,000 VND per month for water.

Students in the intensive English program pay 100,000 VND per month, while those in the boarding program pay according to city regulations, approximately 1.2 million VND per month. Students at the school have never paid more than 1.5 million VND per month.

Reporter: Do you think such low fees will put pressure on other schools...?

Teacher Dinh Phu Cuong: I faced pressure from many sides; many people didn't believe me, and many were shocked when they heard the story. Furthermore, I also faced pressure from the parents themselves.

Initially, many parents came to the school to put pressure on us, including members of the Parent-Teacher Association. They said that if we didn't allow fundraising, how could we operate, where would the money come from? But over time, parents understood and supported the school. For me, parental support doesn't necessarily have to be measured in money. Some parents are doctors, so I asked them to come to the school to advise on children's health; some are police officers, so I invited them to guide students on fire safety skills and online etiquette... they really enjoyed it. When parents themselves roll up their sleeves and get involved, that's when true support comes.

The school participates in all competitions and movements organized by the ward, the city, the Department of Education and Training, etc., even though it doesn't implement socialized funding. The funding comes from the State, and when the income and expenses are managed, everything is fine. Teachers at the school recently received an average additional income bonus of 25-30 million VND, with some teachers receiving even more bonuses according to regulations. Even when organizing the Spring Festival at the school and in each class, the students use whatever they have to play, without charging any fees. Everyone is happy.

"When parents themselves roll up their sleeves and work alongside the school and their children, that's when it truly becomes a partnership."

I told parents and teachers at the school, "Handling parents' money is a real headache." It's not pleasant being dependent on it, and if you let it control you too much, you lose the dignity of a teacher. Only when there's no financial pressure can teachers feel at ease and focus solely on their professional work. Sitting in a coffee shop, I've often overheard unpleasant stories that have caused parents to lose faith and become disillusioned. These are very sad stories, but there's nothing we can do about them...

Reporter: What are your views on joint programs within the school?

- Teacher Dinh Phu Cuong: When partner organizations raise the issue, the school will have teachers distribute survey forms to parents and students. But we warn them beforehand to consider carefully, as the school will not schedule it into the regular timetable. As a result, only 1/5 of the parents registered. The organizations said there were too few students and decided not to participate. So, students at school had classes until 11:00 AM in the morning and until 4:15 PM in the afternoon.

Parents who cannot pick up their children at that time can register, and the school will assign the physical education teachers to encourage the children to play sports . The school has a multi-purpose gymnasium, and I think there's nothing better than having the children play sports after school.

According to teacher Dinh Phu Cuong at Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School, teachers and parents only talk to each other about professional matters and their children's studies.

At Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School, teachers and parents only talk about professional matters and their children's studies. This has been the case for many years, so it's become a daily routine at the school. I want the teachers to have a relaxed mind after teaching so they have time for their families and for tomorrow's lessons, instead of being preoccupied with calculations and dependent on parents' money.

On Vietnamese Teachers' Day: A letter from a school principal causes a stir.

(NLDO) - "Every year on Vietnamese Teachers' Day, receiving flowers and cakes is beautiful and delicious, but they're gone in a day, which is wasteful. Therefore, our school would like to convert these gifts into health insurance cards for underprivileged students..."

Some parents came in and asked why I was teaching the students this or that. I told them they could take their children to outside centers to learn. I always believe that whatever is within a teacher's ability to teach, that's what we should teach the children. That's also the teacher-student relationship and the conscience of an educator. If everything is calculated, quantified in terms of money, and then outsourced, it adds to the burden on parents. They may not say it out loud, but they won't accept it.

Mr. Dinh Phu Cuong is a famous principal known for his letter requesting that flowers and cakes for Vietnamese Teachers' Day be converted into health insurance cards for underprivileged students in 2023, which was reported by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/gap-thay-hieu-truong-o-ngoi-truong-o-tp-hcm-khong-thu-quy-truong-quy-lop-196260213230846247.htm