Public school in Ho Chi Minh City, only 133 students but collects more than 34 billion in tuition and fees/year

The Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate has just announced the conclusion on the implementation of regulations on collection, management, and use of tuition fees and other financial resources for Vietnam-Australia International High School and Bui Thi Xuan High School.

With only 133 students, the school collects 34 billion in tuition and registration fees, a 14% increase in tuition fees.

At Vietnam Australia International High School in 2023-2024, there are 133 students but the school collects 34.667 billion VND in tuition and fees. For tuition, the school collects 184.395 million VND/student for grade 10; 191.674 million VND/student for grade 11; and 194.1 million VND/student for grade 12.

During this school year, the school spent more than 13.924 billion VND on salaries for foreign and Vietnamese teachers; more than 11.723 billion VND on salaries for staff; and paid personal income tax for teachers and staff of more than 4.786 billion VND. In addition, the school also paid 500 million VND for renting facilities, more than 3.134 billion VND for student activities, more than 2.395 billion VND for advertising, enrollment, and reception, more than 1.961 billion VND for repairing and renovating classrooms, and many other expenses...

In 2024-2025, Vietnam Australia International High School has 131 students, but collected 29.083 billion VND in tuition and fees. Regarding tuition fees, the school collects 190.874 million VND/student for grade 10 students; 198.408 million VND/student for grade 11 students; and 200.920 million VND/student for grade 12 students.

As usual, salaries for teachers, staff and personal income tax still account for the majority of expenses. The school spent more than 14,359 billion VND on salaries for foreign and Vietnamese teachers; more than 11,682 billion VND on salaries for staff; and more than 5 billion VND on personal income tax. Notably, student movement expenses decreased to more than 2.5 billion VND, while expenses for advertising, hospitality and student recruitment increased to more than 3.9 billion VND.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate, since 2013, the Vietnam-Australia International High School has submitted a report on tuition fee increases since the 2014 school year, reporting on its operations and receiving comments from the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training: "Agree to allow the school to have a plan to adjust tuition fees and other revenues to ensure the principle of sufficient revenue to cover expenses based on a suitable annual roadmap. The school has a specific plan to submit to the Department of Education and Training before implementation.

However, from 2014 to the time of inspection, Vietnam-Australia International High School did not comply with the regulations of the Department of Finance - Education and Training regulating the tuition fees at the school; did not implement the plan to adjust tuition fees and other revenues to ensure the principle of sufficient revenue to cover expenses based on a suitable roadmap each year, and submitted to the Department of Education and Training before implementation, but the school increased tuition fees once from 2014 by 14% compared to 2013 until now.

Bui Thi Xuan High School must recover more than 300 million VND in wrongful expenditure.

At Bui Thi Xuan High School, the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate pointed out that in the 2023-2024 school year, there was no specific revenue and expenditure budget for each revenue item, and no public announcement of the revenue and expenditure plan for each revenue item to parents before implementation, which is not in accordance with the resolution of the City People's Council.

Regarding the collection content and names of the fees, the school has collected the entire school year for the collection content of "fees for utility services applying information technology and digital transformation" which is not in accordance with regulations.

Bui Thi Xuan High School established internal spending regulations, spending from revenue sources to organize 2 sessions/day of teaching, direct spending, and spending evenly for the teaching staff outside the revenue-expenditure estimate is not suitable for the nature of the revenue content as prescribed.

In 2024, the school incurred expenditures from revenue from organizing foreign language and talent classes of more than VND 303 million, and from revenue from organizing nutrition classes of more than VND 3,991 million. According to the Inspectorate, the above revenue did not arise in 2024, but the school spent from revenue from organizing foreign language and talent classes, and from revenue from organizing nutrition classes in 2024 for school activities when it was not specified in the internal spending regulations for 2024, and there was no budget estimate, which is not enough basis for making expenditures.

The school spends directly from the revenue from organizing 2 sessions/day of teaching, but does not ensure the principle of using the revenue for the right purpose, ensuring the principle of collecting enough, spending enough, in accordance with the actual situation of the unit according to the resolution of the City People's Council.

The Inspectorate requested Bui Thi Xuan High School to recover more than 307 million VND spent in 2024 from revenue from organizing foreign language and talent classes, and nutrition talent classes that have not been specified in the internal spending regulations for 2024, and have no budget, awaiting instructions from the Department's Planning and Finance Department.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/truong-cong-lap-o-tphcm-chi-133-hoc-sinh-nhung-thu-hon-34-ty-hoc-phi-va-phi-nam-2393054.html