Persistent ambiguity in parent funds

Seeing the class's parent association reminding her to pay the fund without explaining the 66 million VND expenditure from last year, Ms. Nhung became furious and stood up to confront them during the meeting.

"This is the second year the finances have been handled this way," said Nhung, 31, from Ha Dong, Hanoi , after a parent-teacher meeting a week ago.

Last year, her son started first grade at a public school. The mother had no complaints about the school's fees, but she had to pay the parent fund four times, totaling 1.3 million VND.

"The class has 51 students, and they contribute over 66 million VND to the fund annually. When I requested a statement, they said no, citing sensitive expenses," Ms. Nhung recounted. She believes this group only knows how to collect money without a clear plan, and is ready to transfer her child to another class if she faces difficulties.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Ngoc Thy, a parent of a student in class 1/2 at Hong Ha Primary School in Binh Thanh District, was also shocked to discover that the class fund had spent over 260 million VND without her knowledge. The class has 32 students, and the parents had previously agreed to contribute 10 million VND each for decorating and renovating the classroom and caring for their children over the next five years.

"We've spent almost everything in just over a month, so what will happen to the whole school year?" Thy wondered.

Last week, Tu Hiep Secondary School in Hanoi had to return over 160 million VND from the school's parent-teacher association fund to parents because it was deemed "inappropriate." Also in the capital, Chu Van An High School required the 12th-grade Literature class to return 4.5 million VND from the fund to parents. The representative board of class 1/2 at Hong Ha Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City had to return 247.5% of the more than 260 million VND they had spent.

As expected, at the beginning of each new school year, public opinion is stirred up by the parent fund. Some argue that the fees are excessive, while others are resentful that the "voluntary" contributions feel like coercion, or that the spending is not transparent. Administrators acknowledge that these persistent grievances stem from a lack of principles on the part of both schools and parents, negatively impacting the educational environment.

Vietnamese Dong banknotes of various denominations. (Illustrative photo: Thanh Hang) — Vietnamese Dong banknotes of various denominations. Illustration photo: *Thanh Hang*

The requirement to publicly disclose regular income and expenditure is emphasized by the Ministry of Education and Training and local authorities at the beginning of each school year. The Ministry also has Circular 55 of 2011 on the regulations for the operation of parent committees, and Circular 16 of 2018 on sponsorship for schools.

There is no shortage of legal frameworks for transparent collection and expenditure of funds, but "this and that" related to parent funds still occur, according to Mr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Chairman of the Education Council of Dinh Tien Hoang High School, Hanoi.

He argued that the main reason was that the principals had not fulfilled their responsibilities properly. Although they did not directly manage the parent fund, they still had to oversee and supervise its collection and expenditure to ensure it was done according to regulations.

"Anyone who says they don't know is shirking responsibility. The same goes for other fees; no teacher would dare collect them without the principal's approval," Mr. Lam said.

The second reason is that the parent committee does not truly represent the interests of the majority; they are still hesitant to give in to the school and homeroom teacher, and are "competing" to contribute.

Before having to return the collected funds, the parent committee's revenue and expenditure plan at Tu Hiep Secondary School had 25 items, including rewards for classes that exceeded targets for small projects and won the "Happy Classroom" award; tutoring for students practicing for the opening ceremony and participating in competitions; money for renting costumes for cultural performances, etc. Many parents reacted negatively, arguing that these expenses were not the responsibility of the fund.

Having been a member of the parent committee for her daughter's middle school class, Lan Anh, 43, residing in Long Bien district, Hanoi, acknowledges the pressure of "supporting the school in purchasing facilities" and the competition between classes. She recounts that one year, when the school said it lacked a few projectors or air conditioners, the parent committee "understood" and immediately went to the class to mobilize resources.

"Although there wasn't a specific target set, in reality, all the classes watched each other to try and get as close to the average as possible, and also to avoid their own class falling too far behind," Lan Anh said. Because she "didn't gain anything" but was constantly questioned and suspected by parents, she resigned from the committee after two years.

In an interview with VnExpress at the end of September, Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of the Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, stated that it is not wrong for parents to voluntarily contribute and sponsor the repair of classrooms and the purchase of facilities.

"Circular 55 requires parent-teacher associations not to force parents to donate money for school repairs or equipment purchases. However, if parents voluntarily and willingly contribute or provide funding, then Circular 16 should be followed," Mr. Minh explained, adding that thanks to this policy, schools have significantly improved their facilities despite limited state funding.

A head of education in the North views parent funds and school donations as two different things. He believes that soliciting and managing donations should be the responsibility of the school. The school should create a plan for any support needed, submit it to higher authorities for approval, and then widely publicize it on a voluntary basis, with contributions from multiple sources. Parents wishing to donate can transfer funds to the school's account. This fund is managed, has complete documentation, and is publicly disclosed.

"If we did it that way, there would be no ambiguity, but many schools and parents don't differentiate, and then they have a mindset of leveling the playing field and dividing things equally to get it over with quickly. Because it violates the principles, it causes resentment," he said.

Classroom for grade 1/2, Hong Ha Primary School, Ho Chi Minh City, before and after renovation, September 2023. Photo: Provided by parents .

Educators argue that excessive fees and unclear fund management practices will cause parents and society as a whole to lose faith in the education sector.

According to Mr. Pham Tat Dong, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning, social mobilization is not just about collecting money, so if parents are asked to contribute money in the name of social mobilization, this activity will lose its meaning.

Ms. Thanh Loan, 42 years old, living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, admitted to "always feeling skeptical" about the parents' committee's spending plan after discovering that the price of a TV for the classroom was nearly 2 million VND higher than the market price.

"Even though it was explained that the total cost included compensation for the workers and cleaning up the classroom after installation, I still had reservations," she recounted.

Mr. Tung Lam acknowledged that it would be difficult to end the grievances regarding parent funds if the management and supervision methods did not change. He proposed increasing penalties for schools that allow excessive or illegal fee collection, arguing that mere criticism and lessons learned are insufficient. He also suggested that local authorities should share the responsibility with schools in soliciting, managing, and utilizing funding. This would increase cross-monitoring and reduce pressure on schools and teachers in non-professional activities.

Agreeing with this viewpoint, the aforementioned head of the education department suggested that regulations need to be stricter.

"Many schools still think that how parents spend their funds is their private matter, so they don't interfere. There should be a legal basis for provincial and district authorities to set certain contribution limits, avoiding chaotic collection and expenditure," he said.

Chief of Staff Ho Tan Minh said that Ho Chi Minh City has requested schools to broaden their fundraising efforts, not focusing solely on parents and not concentrating donations at the beginning of the school year. This is because at that time, parents are preoccupied with buying books, notebooks, school supplies, uniforms, and health insurance for their children. Fundraising efforts could easily become a burden for them.

Dong, on the other hand, argued that the government needs to increase investment in education. "Once a school is opened, it must have adequate facilities. It can't just be a matter of building classrooms and then leaving the school to install fans and air conditioners on its own; every expense has to be covered," he said.

Ms. Nhung doesn't know when the parents' committee's irregularities in revenue and expenditure will end, she only knows that she just paid 600,000 VND as a provisional fee for this school year.

Following her feedback, the head of the parent committee promised to prepare a complete report on income and expenses. This was the only "spiritual victory" she hoped would avoid further dissatisfaction at the beginning of each new school year.

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