Auditing the income and expenditure of parent-teacher association funds in 40 schools.

Ho Chi Minh City, District 12, is inspecting the operating budget of parent-teacher associations and the use of donations in 40 public schools, from preschool to junior high school.

The plan was issued by the District 12 Department of Education and Training last weekend, with the inspection period from January to July 2024 (See list).

Mr. Khuu Manh Hung, Head of the District Education and Training Department, said that the inspection will mainly focus on compliance with regulations regarding the mobilization, receipt, management, and use of sponsorships and operating funds for the parent-teacher association (parents' fund) for the two most recent school years.

According to Mr. Hung, this helps to assess the advantages and disadvantages, as well as to promptly detect limitations and violations in the aforementioned activities.

Parent-teacher meeting for class 1A2, Hong Ha Secondary School, Binh Thanh District, August. Photo: Provided by parents.

This plan by District 12 is part of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training's program to review revenue and expenditure at the beginning of the school year.

Previously, the city received numerous complaints regarding fundraising and the management of parent-teacher association funds. A prominent example is Hong Ha Primary School in Binh Thanh District, where the parent-teacher association fund for class 1/2 spent nearly 260 million VND in less than a month on replacing flooring, installing air conditioners, and repainting desks and chairs. The school subsequently had to return 250 million VND to parents after authorities determined that the fundraising and expenditure process did not comply with regulations.

As requested by the Department, the Education and Training Offices must advise the People's Committees of districts and counties to direct the monitoring and inspection of revenue and expenditure, and rectify any instances of excessive fees in schools. If violations occur, the school principal will be severely punished.

Currently, fundraising is conducted according to Circular 16 of the Ministry of Education and Training . This circular allows schools to solicit donations, but they must have a plan, be approved by higher authorities, and be based on voluntary participation, not indiscriminate fundraising.

Regarding the Parents' Fund, Circular 55 strictly prohibits its misuse for school cleaning, rewarding administrators, teachers, and staff; purchasing machinery, equipment, and teaching materials for the school; repairing, upgrading, or constructing new school facilities, etc. The plan for using the fund must be agreed upon by the principal and the head of the Parents' Association, and it should only be used for activities directly related to the association.

Le Nguyen

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