Illustration: TTO Document
Dear all collectors,
The class and school parent representative committee is established to act as a bridge between the school and parents, and to resolve issues beyond the school's authority.
In all fairness, the parent-teacher association has made some contributions in bridging the gap between teachers, schools and students at school and at home. At the same time, there are also parent-teacher associations that do a good job.
However, in reality, many schools and classes "rely" on the parent-teacher association to collect additional amounts of money outside of the regulations, under the name of school and class support funds. Many parents do not want to displease their homeroom teachers and schools, so they try to contribute.
Stories of the so-called "dark side" of parent-teacher associations have been going on for many years. In many places, the associations have become places to "legalize" and "extend" teachers and schools in the matter of overcharging, even hiding under the phrase "socialization".
Parents with limited financial resources often want to choose public schools for their children to save on tuition costs.
But tuition fees (in some places they are exempted or reduced) are small, while there are all kinds of unofficial fees, such as school funds, scholarship funds, class funds... causing parents to "carry" all kinds of additional fees, several times higher than the regulated tuition fees.
Many parent-teacher associations intentionally or unintentionally fail to distinguish between their own work and the work of the teachers and the school.
It is called a campaign, voluntary but if you do not pay, you have to pay, and if you pay a little, it is very difficult. Rarely do parents have the courage to raise their hands or say they do not agree. Many parents are afraid when they receive invitations to parent-teacher conferences, even though they only meet twice a year, afraid that it will be "fall", the season when fees are asked.
When will normal things no longer be unique and strange?
According to Tuoi Tre Online, in the 2024-2025 school year, Hoa Phu Primary School (Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong) will not collect any additional fees, other than 99,000 VND for cleaning throughout the school year. The principal also eliminated the class fund, making many parents very happy.
Parents of Vo Truong Toan Primary School (District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) were delighted after the head teacher informed them that they would not collect class funds, school funds, or other collective contributions.
Normal things become exceptional, "unique and strange" when many parents compare them to real-life fairy tales.
Read but just know sadness.
Collecting school and class funds for well-off families is often not a big deal. But for the majority of families of workers, farmers, traders, etc., it becomes a burden along with many other worries in life.
Many opinions suggest that the parent-teacher association must operate according to regulations, operate independently, and be elected by parents, not introduced or suggested by teachers or schools. Homeroom teachers do not attend parent meetings.
I agree with this proposal and in the immediate future we need to reform the activities of the parent-teacher association.
Once a Korean friend, who has a PhD in Vietnamese history, asked me: "There are many articles praising examples of people who carry their friends and children to school for several years, but why don't we see any mention of the mobilization and donations of the parents' representative committee in these cases?"
I think these are very meaningful things that the parents' representative committee needs to stand up and mobilize and donate to help society take care of the children, instead of just focusing on mobilizing contributions to the school and class funds.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-binh-thuong-o-truong-o-lop-lai-tro-thanh-doc-la-20241008091836862.htm
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