Free tuition has a positive effect on the education sector.

Recently, a series of timely and popular policies have been issued by our Party and State. Most notably, the policy of completely waiving tuition fees for students from preschool to high school in public schools nationwide has created a positive effect on both the people and the education sector.

The 2019 Education Law stipulates that primary school students in public educational institutions are exempt from tuition fees. Furthermore, in areas lacking sufficient public schools, primary school students in private institutions receive tuition fee support from the State. Recently, in early September 2024, the Government issued a Decree waiving tuition fees for preschool children attending public schools. Significantly, on February 28, 2025, the Politburo decided to completely waive tuition fees for preschool children and students from grades 1 to 12 attending public schools. This humane policy bears a historical significance, demonstrating that the Party and State always focus on practical matters, prioritize the people, and act for the benefit of the people, especially those families facing economic hardship.

The monthly tuition fee for a student typically ranges from 10,000 VND to nearly 400,000 VND, depending on the grade level. This is a significant amount for low-income families. Therefore, the policy of waiving tuition fees has been immediately and positively received.

Tuition fees are the amount of money students pay to cover part or all of the costs of educational and training services. These costs include salaries, direct expenses, administrative expenses, and depreciation of fixed assets directly and indirectly used in educational activities according to the educational program. Therefore, tuition fees are a crucial and practical resource for every educational institution. Without tuition fees, the government would have to subsidize approximately 30 trillion VND annually to cover educational services in schools.

Access to education requires factors related to the child's own circumstances, family conditions, social conditions, and cultural conditions, with educational policies and family economic conditions being extremely important. The phenomenon of students dropping out of school due to lack of money for educational services is not uncommon, especially in remote areas and ethnic minority regions. Without tuition fees, more children would attend school, and teachers would be more motivated to teach, love their profession, and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their work. The goal of universal education would be less difficult to achieve, and it would also resolve the long-standing paradox of having to collect tuition fees despite achieving universal education, which has prevented the target of school enrollment for children of the appropriate age from being met in disadvantaged areas.

Easier access to education will contribute to achieving the goal of educational equality nationwide. Without having to pay for extra classes or tuition fees, parents and students benefit from the "double advantage" of the government's investment in education. Parents can then use the saved money to enroll their children in life skills classes, physical training, literary and artistic clubs, talent competitions, or creative experiences. This contributes to improving the overall quality of education for students, meeting the goals of the 2018 Education Program.

Free tuition is also a distinct aspect of "free education," a strong development-oriented recommendation from UNESCO. Many countries around the world have national programs to implement this global policy, whether they are developed, developing, or underdeveloped economies.

However, the reality is that free tuition, besides encouraging more children to attend public schools, also attracts a significant number of students currently attending private schools to switch. This presents a considerable challenge given the shortage of public schools and the need for improvement in teaching conditions. Therefore, alongside this humane policy, the State needs to continue investing more in educational infrastructure in the future to ensure the continued development of education and to create momentum for the nation to enter a new era.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mien-hoc-phi-tao-hieu-ung-tich-cuc-voi-nganh-giao-duc-post864341.html