Currently, there are still some educational institutions that have not complied with regulations, illegally collected funds from parents or mobilized funding against regulations, causing outrage.

Many people think that the “Parents’ Representative Board” or “Parents’ Committee” is an “extended arm of the principal”. In fact, it was created mainly to collect all kinds of funds, so it should be abolished.

Up to now, the activities of the Parents' Representative Board are regulated in the Charter of the Parents' Representative Board issued with Circular 55/2011/TT-BGDDT dated November 22, 2011 of the Minister of Education and Training.

Accordingly, Article 10 of this Circular clearly stipulates that the Parents' Representative Board is not allowed to collect donations from students or their families that are not voluntary and donations that do not directly serve the activities of the Parents' Representative Board such as:

- Protect school facilities and ensure school security;

- Look after students' means of transport;

- Clean classrooms, clean school;

- Rewarding school administrators, teachers and staff;

- Purchase machinery, equipment, and teaching aids for schools, classrooms, or for school administrators, teachers, and staff;

- Support management, organization of teaching and educational activities;

- Repair, upgrade, and construct new school facilities.

What funding do schools receive?

Educational institutions wishing to organize social mobilization and fundraising must comply with the provisions of Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT on funding for educational institutions in the national education system.

According to Circular 16, funding must ensure the principles of voluntariness, publicity, transparency, no coercion, no regulation of average funding levels, no regulation of minimum funding levels, no taking advantage of education funding to force contributions, and no consideration of funding mobilization as a condition for providing education and training services.

The management and use of grants must follow the principles of thrift, efficiency, and proper purpose, and must not be lost or wasted.

Educational institutions are mobilized and receive funding to carry out the following contents:

- Provide equipment and supplies for teaching and learning; equipment for scientific research; renovate, repair, and construct construction items serving educational activities at educational institutions;

- Support education, training and scientific research activities in educational institutions.

Do not mobilize funding to pay for the following expenses: teaching fees; expenses directly related to managers, teachers, lecturers and staff, security and protection activities; fees for looking after students' vehicles; fees for maintaining classroom and school hygiene; rewards for managers, teachers and staff; expenses supporting the management of educational institutions.

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Illustration: Thanh Hung

Regarding fundraising, based on the school year's activity plan and budget estimates assigned by state agencies, periodically or suddenly, educational institutions develop fundraising plans and report to the Department of Education and Training for approval for preschool, primary and secondary education institutions; report to the Department of Education and Training for approval for high school education institutions and other educational institutions under the Department of Education and Training before organizing.

For junior colleges, colleges of education, and higher education institutions, the fundraising plan must be submitted to the School Council or Board of Directors for approval before fundraising and reported to the direct superior agency.

However, the Department of Education and Training will review and approve the funding mobilization plan of the educational institution. In case the funding mobilization plan is found to be not in accordance with procedures, regulations and not transparent, the educational institution must be required to stop implementing the funding mobilization plan.

The fundraising plan must clearly define the content, purpose, beneficiaries, budget estimate and implementation plan for the activities requiring funding.

How do schools collect tuition fees?

How do schools collect tuition fees?

Many parents wonder about the tuition fees and how to collect them to ensure compliance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.
Pressure because rich people 'manipulate' the class parent committee

Pressure because rich people 'manipulate' the class parent committee

At the first parent-teacher meeting of the school year, I sat next to a lady who looked quite rich. When the teacher suggested setting up a scholarship fund to reward children every month, asking each parent to contribute 50,000-100,000 VND/period, she shouted, “Let’s pay 200,000 VND for comfort” and handed over the money.
'After 2 years of being a puppet head of the parents' association, I found an excuse to withdraw'

'After 2 years of being a puppet head of the parents' association, I found an excuse to withdraw'

In the morning, there was a scheduled parent-teacher meeting for my 8th grade son. I prepared a text message to the homeroom teacher asking for permission to be absent because my family had to go back to the countryside for an urgent matter. The real reason was that I wanted to “avoid” being elected to the parent-teacher committee.