There are still many expenses in the new school year.

Although the tuition-free policy was implemented this school year, other fees still appeared with significant increases.

At Le Ngoc Han Primary School (Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), parents were shocked when the school distributed questionnaires about fees, listing 19 different charges for the new school year. Similarly, at Vang Anh Kindergarten in Nha Be Commune, the questionnaires listed 23 charges, many of which increased by 15% compared to the previous school year.

An extracurricular lesson.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has issued detailed guidelines on the collection, use, and other fees for the 2025-2026 school year at public educational institutions in the city. The Department requests that public educational institutions not change their names or introduce any fees beyond the prescribed categories. Institutions must issue receipts and invoices to students when collecting fees and should space out the collection of fees, avoiding the simultaneous collection of multiple fees. For classes requiring air conditioning but needing to rent it, the rental must be agreed upon by the parents and comply with legal regulations.

Besides the fees, the issue of subjects taught at extracurricular centers is also a prominent concern. Schools still include these subjects in the regular curriculum, increasing students' study time. Many parents express worries about the quality of these subjects, as even though their children are already studying at school, they still need to take additional classes at outside centers if they want to achieve high academic results.

The curriculum for subjects like IC3 Computer Science, MOS Computer Science, Digital Citizenship Skills, Communicative English, STEM, and Robotics has caused frustration among many parents. Parents argue that with the regular curriculum already comprehensive and high-quality, these extra classes are unnecessary, yet they are almost forced to participate if parents want their children to keep up with their peers. One parent stated: “The children attend extra classes all day, then have to do homework in the evening, leaving them no time to rest. This excessive workload is putting immense pressure on the children.”

Speaking at the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Executive Board meeting for the 2020-2025 term on September 15th, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, stated that schools organize two sessions per day, and extra classes on Saturdays are voluntary on the part of parents. However, many parents have complained that if students don't register, homeroom teachers pressure them, sometimes even forcing them to tell their parents to register, thus increasing stress.

Many parents desire a more flexible curriculum where extracurricular subjects are optional rather than mandatory. Schools should offer extracurricular subjects and life skills classes on Saturdays and Sundays so that parents can enroll their children according to their needs and financial capabilities. This would help reduce pressure and create space for students to develop holistically, not only academically but also physically and mentally.

Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Tien from Ho Chi Minh City believes that students are treated like "factory-farmed chickens." They spend their days at school with a multitude of classes, many of which are not part of the official curriculum but are subjects offered by external centers such as: IC3 Computer Skills, MOS Computer Skills, Digital Citizenship Skills, Conversational English, English with Native Speakers, English for Math - English for Science , Life Skills, STEM, Robotics, etc. Yet, even for these subjects, students still have to enroll in additional classes at these centers to achieve the desired results and progress. This raises the question: Are these supplementary subjects truly necessary, when parents still have to pay extra for them beyond the government's "tuition-free" policy?

Many parents have complained that homeroom teachers give parents forms to sign confirming their children's participation in extracurricular activities. If parents don't choose these classes, the homeroom teacher goes around persuading them, saying, "If your child doesn't attend, where will they go during that class?"

A parent asked: “My child attends a primary school in Phu Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. At the beginning of the year, the school distributed feedback forms on school fees, and I found some of them unreasonable, so I checked the box that said I disagreed. The next day, the homeroom teacher called me in for a talk and told me I had to change my opinion so the school would achieve a 100% approval rate.”

Given the current situation, practical solutions are needed to improve the current state of education, especially addressing long-standing issues such as fees, curriculum, and integrated subjects. The curriculum needs to be streamlined, overlapping subjects reduced, the rights of students and parents protected, and a healthy and equitable learning environment created.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/giao-duc/van-con-nhieu-khoan-thu-trong-nam-hoc-moi-i781802/