What did the principal say about the numerous fundraising campaigns that caused public uproar?

Recently, images of a detailed budget for fundraising activities at Nguyen Du Secondary School (Thanh Sen Ward, Ha Tinh Province) at the beginning of the school year, totaling over 800 million VND, have appeared on social media, attracting significant public attention.

Nguyen Du Secondary School has recently received investment to build a new block of classrooms. (Photo by PV)

According to the detailed budget plan, the aim is to solicit donations from businesses, organizations, individuals, and parents to purchase desks and chairs, televisions, smart whiteboards, decorate classrooms, renovate the schoolyard, plant trees, etc.

Among the six categories, there is an item for planting 10 sandalwood trees worth 130 million VND (13 million VND/tree) and repairing and renovating flower beds at 50 million VND, which has led some to believe that this is an unnecessary expenditure that could put pressure on parents, especially in the context of the locality having just been affected by two major storms.

Regarding this matter, in an interview with a reporter from Tien Phong newspaper, Mr. Le Ngoc Anh - Principal of Nguyen Du Secondary School - stated that the aforementioned budget estimate is part of the school's plan to mobilize social resources for education in the 2025-2026 school year. It was developed with the goal of enlisting the joint efforts of parents, businesses, and the community to supplement facilities for teaching and learning.

Details of the estimated budget for fundraising at the beginning of the school year at Nguyen Du Secondary School.

According to school leaders, this plan has been publicly available on the school's website since September 2025 and sent to parents of all classes. The school also affirmed that this fundraising is entirely voluntary and students are not required to contribute.

The principal of Nguyen Du Secondary School also stated that the school currently has 32 classes with 1,408 students. Over the years, the government has invested more than 54 billion VND to build two three-story school buildings, a multi-purpose hall, a schoolyard, landscaping, and some basic equipment. However, this school year, the school has added 3 new classes with 135 students, while many desks and chairs are damaged and some teaching equipment is still lacking, so the school needs to mobilize additional resources to meet the needs.

Regarding the project to plant shade trees at the school with an estimated budget of 130 million VND, the school's leadership stated that the entire project has already been sponsored by a business.

“These sandalwood trees were donated by several businesses in the area. The school only included them in the budget to fully reflect the socialized items and ensure transparency. The choice to plant sandalwood trees was because some schools have already planted them beautifully, providing good coverage,” Mr. Le Ngoc Anh said.

According to the leaders of Nguyen Du Secondary School, regarding the television and smart whiteboard, the school has consulted and assessed prices from several equipment suppliers. However, this is only a planned initiative and has not yet been implemented.

According to regulations, procurements valued at over 100 million VND will be conducted through a bidding process, ensuring proper procedures and transparency.

"The fundraising campaign is currently underway. Units and individuals can contribute with cash or in-kind donations, depending on their means. For students and parents, the school only promotes voluntary participation; it is not mandatory. All items in the fundraising plan have been approved by the People's Committee of Thanh Sen Ward before being made public," the school's leadership stated.