Schools are grappling with revenue streams.

Resolution 04 is seen as a "magic wand" against excessive fees at the beginning of each school year. However, many educational institutions say it's difficult to impose a maximum limit on all fees, and even then, they have to carefully consider each item to ensure it's reasonable.

It's not easy to collect the ceiling.

Resolution 04 stipulates 26 types of fees divided into 4 groups, including: fees for extracurricular educational activities as prescribed; fees for educational activities implemented according to approved projects; service fees for boarding school activities; and fees for supporting individual students.

The fees are divided into two groups. Group 1 includes students and trainees at schools in Thu Duc City and districts: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, and Binh Tan. Group 2 includes students and trainees at schools in the districts of Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Nha Be, and Can Gio.

The fees stipulated in this resolution are the maximum fees. Depending on the actual situation of the educational institution and the needs of the students, the educational institution shall agree with the parents on the specific fee level, but it must not exceed the fees stipulated in this resolution and must not be more than 15% higher than the fees for the 2022-2023 school year.

Trường học cân não với các khoản thu - Ảnh 1.

According to regulations, schools are only allowed to collect 35,000 VND for lunch, so many schools have had to cut afternoon snacks. (Photo: TAN THANH)

Leaders of many educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City said that compared to the fees of the previous school year, the fees under Resolution 04 are mostly higher than the fees the schools had already applied. However, it is not easy to impose a maximum ceiling on all fees.

Mr. Hoang Son Hai, Principal of Nguyen Chi Thanh High School (Tan Binh District), said that depending on the actual situation of each school, the amount collected for each item is calculated based on the regulations of the resolution. "It's impossible to collect 100% of the maximum amount for every item," Mr. Hai said.

For example, according to Mr. Hai, although Resolution 04 allows for a fee of 300,000 VND/student/month for organizing two sessions per day at the high school level, in reality, the school only collects 285,000 VND/month. This fee is based on the estimated amount to be paid to teachers per lesson, the cost of supporting club activities, etc., multiplied by the number of lessons and months, minus taxes... and then divided by the number of students. "The school has about 2,000 students. After deducting those with family circumstances and exemptions, we can arrive at the specific fee," Mr. Hai said.

Mr. Hai also stated that according to Resolution 04, there are 26 permitted fees, but not all schools can collect all 26 fees, as schools are only allowed to collect fees for the specific items they implement. One disadvantage for schools is that, due to the regulation prohibiting fees from exceeding 15% of the previous year's amount, schools with low fees in the previous academic year, even with a 15% increase, still cannot reach the maximum allowed by the People's Council. "For example, the fee for organizing enhanced English classes, which previously cost only 90,000 VND/month, now, even with a 15% increase, still doesn't reach the 300,000 VND allowed by Resolution 04 for high schools," Mr. Hai said.

Gathering parental feedback

Evaluating Resolution 04 as a basis for schools to implement and limit improper revenue and expenditure, especially the problem of excessive fees at the beginning of the school year, the principal of a high school in District 1 said that before there were specific regulations, principals had no choice but to comply, fearing they would be wrong because there were no clear regulations on service fees in schools. And since it's a service, it's difficult to accurately measure its value!

According to Mr. Truong Quoc Hung, Principal of Duc Tri Secondary School (District 1), most of the fees collected at the school are lower than the levels stipulated in Resolution 04. While some fees are higher, they cannot exceed 15% of the previous year's amount, so they still cannot reach the maximum level stipulated in the regulations.

Principals of many educational institutions also stated that they had to readjust some school fees to comply with regulations. For example, previously, most schools collected 40,000 VND per student for lunch, which included both lunch and an afternoon snack. However, according to regulations, the maximum fee for lunch is 35,000 VND. Therefore, the school informed parents of the new regulation and stopped providing the afternoon snack, which parents agreed to.

Mr. Ly Van Hue, Principal of Hoa Binh School, added that the school is currently gathering feedback from parents. The basic fees will remain the same as the previous school year, with most items below or equal to the ceiling set in Resolution 04. However, some fees will not be the same as the previous school year, such as English and computer science fees, and fees for the second session for grades implementing the 2018 general education program.

Doing it wrong will result in a warning.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, Resolution 04, recently passed by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, stipulates 26 categories of service fees in schools. School principals must carefully understand and study these regulations to ensure correct implementation. "The city sets a maximum limit, but not every school should push to the maximum. Instead, schools need to develop professional plans, school education programs, detailed usage plans, and reasonable cost calculations for the benefit of students, meeting their needs and abilities..." Mr. Hieu emphasized.

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