Reflecting on tuition fees

For example, the United Nations International School (UNIS) announced tuition fees for the 2024-2025 school year at US$12,570 (over VND 310 million) payable in one lump sum for kindergarten students attending school until 2 PM. For 5-year-olds, the fee increases by nearly VND 24 million. The highest fee is for grades 11-12 at US$36,920 (over VND 912 million) payable in one lump sum.

The British International School (BIS) Hanoi determines tuition fees based on grade level and student's date of birth. Accordingly, for preschool, the annual tuition ranges from VND 234.4 - VND 246.3 million (for half-day classes) and from VND 317.2 - VND 472.2 million (for full-day classes). Primary school tuition ranges from VND 607.9 - VND 679.1 million. Secondary school tuition ranges from VND 782.8 - VND 896.9 million. The Singapore International School, Japanese International School, and French International School have tuition fees of approximately VND 100 - VND 150 million.

Additionally, schools like Wellspring Bilingual School have tuition fees of approximately 169.2 million VND/year; Olympia School has tuition fees of 167 million VND for its bilingual program…

Currently, Hanoi has 40 schools with foreign investment, mainly preschools. These schools all teach using foreign curricula in English and are often referred to as "international schools." Besides tuition fees, many schools have separate deposit, registration, and enrollment fees. Common deposits range from 20 to 35 million VND, with the highest being at Hanoi International School (HIS) at 50 million VND. Enrollment/registration/enrollment fees are lowest at the Singapore International School (3-6 million VND), while the British International School (BIS Hanoi) charges 71 million VND. Other fees that parents must pay include uniforms, meals, facilities, learning materials, and school bus transportation.

Previously, in order to prepare well for the enrollment process for the 2024-2025 school year, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training requested that all units and schools in the city urgently review and prepare the necessary conditions to enhance the application of information technology and implement online enrollment. For private schools and schools with foreign elements, it is necessary to organize enrollment in a convenient and transparent manner, ending the situation where parents and students queue to submit applications. The Hanoi Department of Education and Training will resolutely refuse to allocate enrollment quotas to units that violate these regulations...

Currently, the trend of parents in Hanoi sending their children to private schools is increasing. However, tuition fees remain a barrier that makes many parents and students hesitant. Besides the many schools with exorbitant fees mentioned above, there are also private schools with more reasonable fees to suit the financial means of students. Therefore, according to education experts, students and parents need to carefully consider their circumstances before enrolling in and choosing an educational environment that suits them.

In reality, the competition for admission to primary and secondary schools in Hanoi and other major cities is always intense. One of the reasons many families prefer public schools is the lower tuition fees; not all families can afford private schools. Private high schools, on the other hand, have to be self-reliant, facing numerous difficulties. Therefore, representatives from private schools share the hope that if there were better mechanisms to establish more private schools, sharing the burden of overcrowding with the education sector, along with policies to encourage and reduce tuition fees, the competition for places in public schools in major cities would gradually lessen.

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