Deputy Prime Minister requests careful assessment of impact of tuition fee increase

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said that increasing tuition fees for public preschools and primary schools needs to be calculated and implemented methodically to ensure the state's educational goals.

According to Decree 81 of 2021, the new tuition ceiling for preschool and general education will be applied from the 2022-2023 school year, ranging from 50,000-650,000 VND per month, per student, depending on the location and level of education.

Based on this framework, last year, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and many other localities planned new tuition fees. Specifically, Hanoi proposed preschool and secondary school tuition fees ranging from 50,000-300,000 VND per month, nearly double the previous school year's level of 19,000-190,000 VND. Ho Chi Minh City's tuition fees are also expected to increase fivefold. Many other provinces and cities are similar.

However, this had to stop at the end of December 2022 due to the Government's request to support students, low-income families, and control inflation. Currently, many localities are preparing to increase tuition fees again.

At a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Training and related ministries and sectors on the afternoon of May 10, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said that increasing tuition fees for public preschools and general education is an issue with great social impact. This must be calculated and implemented in a fundamental, systematic, comprehensive manner, in a humane spirit.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training to carefully assess the impact in order to have a tuition policy suitable to the people's ability to contribute and pay; at the same time, have a policy to support disadvantaged and vulnerable groups so as not to affect the educational access opportunities of this group.

State budget investment in education will not decrease, but it will not be equalized or spread out. By promoting autonomy and socialization in favorable areas, the state budget will focus on students who are policy beneficiaries, disadvantaged, and disadvantaged.

Opening ceremony at Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), morning of September 5, 2022. Photo: Quynh Tran — Opening ceremony at Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), morning of September 5, 2022. Photo: *Quynh Tran*

The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized the requirement of "not changing the goal of universalizing preschool, primary and secondary education" and the principle of "the State playing a leading role, providing basic education services for 100% of preschool and general education students".

The Ministry of Education and Training needs to calculate the budget for education from national target programs such as hunger eradication and poverty reduction, socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas; and the budget saved when implementing autonomy in favorable areas. From there, the Ministry has a plan for the state budget to compensate for the increased tuition fees for disadvantaged groups.

Most of the disadvantaged students are living in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas. Mr. Ha noted that the regime, policies and income for teachers in these areas must be equal to the national average.

Regarding university level, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it is necessary to amend Decree 81 to have a suitable roadmap, soon apply tuition policy in the direction of calculating correctly and sufficiently to improve the quality of university and vocational education. Schools need to have policies to support students so as not to reduce the opportunity to enter university.

Tuition fees for preschool and general education are decided by the provincial People's Council. According to Decree 81, the tuition fee framework is adjusted at a rate appropriate to the local socio-economic conditions, the consumer price index growth rate, the annual economic growth rate and the people's ability to pay, but not exceeding 7.5%/year.

Duong Tam

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