Regarding the school-related collusion issue, parents are urged to take decisive action to alleviate their suffering.

"We earnestly hope the General Secretary will take decisive action on this issue to alleviate the suffering of parents," many readers commented to the Thanh Nien newspaper editorial office after a recent article about the issue of integrated subjects in schools causing outrage among parents.

Below the article "Tuition-free but schools 'collude' to charge extra few million: When will this end?" published by Thanh Nien Newspaper on the morning of December 16th, many parents sent comments expressing their agreement.

Thankfully, the issue of collaboration in schools "has reached the ears of the General Secretary ."

Parent Kim Nga said: "This reflects the frustration of many parents who hope for a swift resolution. This is a nationwide issue, not just affecting a few schools. We hope to eliminate subjects that are irrelevant to the curriculum and that waste a lot of money and time for students and parents."

Parent Thanh Pham Minh commented: "This is probably the most pressing issue for many people. Parents nationwide are concerned and it needs to be thoroughly addressed and resolved."

Parents in Vietnam expressed their opinion: "So many parents are suffering because of these integrated subjects. We sincerely hope that Mr. To Lam will direct a thorough resolution to reduce the economic burden on parents nationwide."

Tuition is free, but the fees for additional courses are what truly burden parents.

ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO: AI

A parent, a "New Reader," strongly stated: "Thank goodness, this has reached the ears of the General Secretary. This is very troubling, a waste of money and time, and it's completely unreasonable. The Ministry of Education and Training didn't even mandate it. The State reduced tuition fees by tens of thousands of dong, but schools are vaguely creating STEM education subjects, native English, life skills, and swimming lessons (without clearly stating they are voluntary) so that parents have to pay hundreds of thousands of dong per student each month (primary and secondary school). Are schools really going against the humane policies and principles of the Party and the State? Thank you , Thanh Nien Newspaper, for your many articles on this pressing issue. We hope your newspaper will continue to investigate this matter thoroughly, in accordance with the spirit and directive of the General Secretary: 'Schools cannot be turned into service establishments.'"

Parent Ha Nguyen wrote: "Taking advantage of the concept of 'socialization' in education, 'voluntary' contributions, etc., many schools across the country have turned schools into service centers, which is contrary to the true nature of education. Tuition waivers only account for a very small portion of the total monthly expenses paid by parents."

Hopefully this issue will be resolved soon.

A user named "New Reader" shared: "I sincerely hope General Secretary To Lam will take decisive action on this issue so that parents will suffer less."

Parent Hoanglocphat sent the following feedback to the Thanh Nien Newspaper editorial office: " I find it very paradoxical that native-speaking English is taught by foreign teachers. First and second graders are not yet proficient in Vietnamese and cannot fully understand what they are reading. I suggest that your newspaper should report on this issue. Teaching English is good, but it should only be done by Vietnamese teachers from the school, as they are bilingual and the children are only learning simple vocabulary. Even at the primary, secondary, and high school levels, schools shouldn't partner with centers to hire foreign teachers. In reality, I see that most teachers are Indian or Filipino, and they need Vietnamese teaching assistants... If a child wants to learn with a foreign teacher, they should go to a tutoring center; schools shouldn't have such partnerships."

Reader Thuy Mai Son frankly stated: "This has been a long-standing blurring of the lines between public and private, and the state is losing tax revenue from public schools. School principals use public assets to partner with centers to offer extracurricular activities and collect money from parents, avoiding taxes on rent, even though the school itself is public property and also includes contributions from parents..."

Meanwhile, reader Nguyen asks: "Is this an evolution of the problem of extra tutoring? Another issue, rarely mentioned, is that the majority of students report that the quality of teaching in these affiliated subjects is not guaranteed, and that some teachers even have very poor pedagogical skills."

As Thanh Nien newspaper reported recently, following the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, on the morning of December 15th, at the headquarters of Bach Mai ward (Hanoi), General Secretary To Lam and National Assembly delegates met with voters from the following wards: Dong Da, Kim Lien, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Lang, O Cho Dua, Ba Dinh, Ngoc Ha, Giang Vo, Hai Ba Trung, Vinh Tuy, Bach Mai...

Discussing some major policies related to education and health in the recent past, the General Secretary emphasized that communes and wards must grasp the detailed and specific needs of schools and healthcare facilities in their areas in order to prepare the necessary infrastructure and equipment.

The General Secretary also noted, through discussions with Hanoi city leaders and voters, that there is still a situation where "the State provides free tuition, but schools come up with many other things that charge more money."

"The state only waives tuition fees of 1-2 million VND, but the school collaborates with companies to bring in outsiders to teach foreign languages, AI, music, physical education, etc., and then collects money, forcing the children to pay an additional few million VND," the General Secretary said, emphasizing: "Schools cannot be turned into service establishments. Hanoi must investigate this because this phenomenon is contrary to the true nature of education."

The article in Thanh Nien newspaper, along with the General Secretary's statements, was quickly and widely shared among parents across various social media platforms.

A user named Nguyen Phi commented on Thanh Nien Newspaper's article: "That's the situation: 'Hot at the top, cold at the bottom.' I hope the education sector understands the frustration of parents and the unfairness towards students so that it can be reformed. Don't let humane policies remain just on paper, leading to widespread distortions in schools, especially at the primary and preschool levels."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vu-lien-ket-trong-truong-mong-tong-bi-thu-lam-quyet-liet-de-phu-huynh-do-kho-185251216195433089.htm