Principal said 'against the rules'

Ban đại diện thu mỗi người 210.000 đồng mua ti vi: Hiệu trưởng nói 'sai quy định' - Ảnh 1. — Parents reported to *Thanh Nien* Newspaper that they did not agree to pay 210,000 VND each to buy televisions for the classrooms.

Continuing to relate to the story "At the end of the school year, the school mobilized to sponsor 65-inch TVs, parents questioned" that Thanh Nien Online recently posted, this afternoon, May 25, Ms. Pham Thi Kim Ngan, Principal of Kim Dong Primary School, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the school invited the president of class 4/2 to discuss and clarify the content "each parent must pay 210,000 VND to buy a TV".

"The school confirmed with the class president of class 4/2: The fact that parents participate in supporting the project at the same level is not in accordance with the school's guidelines and is against regulations," Ms. Pham Thi Kim Ngan affirmed.

The principal of Kim Dong Primary School, District 12, added: "The representative of the parents of class 4/2 has received and conveyed the information to the parents of their class (via the class Zalo group message). The head of the association requested to return the 210,000 VND to the parents who contributed and really hopes that the parents of class 4/2 will continue to support the implementation of the TV project according to the ability and heart of each parent in the spirit of voluntariness, without coercion and without equal sharing."

Ban đại diện thu mỗi người 210.000 đồng mua ti vi: Hiệu trưởng nói 'sai quy định' - Ảnh 2. — On the list of parents who sponsored the project of equipping 65-inch TV screens for the classrooms, it clearly states that "Parents contribute voluntarily, there is no consensus on a common fee."

Previously, a parent of class 4/2 at Kim Dong Primary School, District 12, sent a letter to the Thanh Nien Newspaper editorial office on May 21, 2023, reporting that they were invited to attend the end-of-year parent meeting to learn about their children's learning situation. However, in addition to that issue, the school also collected money to equip TVs for students.

"We wonder why each class has a TV and it's the end of the school year. Meanwhile, although it's called voluntary, when it's implemented, the representative board directly divides it based on the number of people (the list of parents has their signatures but the specific amount is not stated because the default is 210,000 VND per parent)...", the parent wrote.

Responding to Thanh Nien Newspaper, Ms. Pham Thi Kim Ngan, Principal of Kim Dong Primary School, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said that at the year-end parent meeting on May 21, the school implemented plan No. 87/KH-KD dated May 18, 2023 on mobilizing educational funding "Equipping 65-inch LCD TV screens for classrooms".

This plan has been approved by the Department of Education and Training according to Circular No. 16/2018/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating funding for educational institutions in the national education system. The roadmap for implementing the mobilization of funding for TV purchases is from April 2023 to April 2024.

Ms. Ngan affirmed: "The school has thoroughly informed the teaching staff that when implementing the campaign, it must be clearly stated that the campaign to implement the sponsored project must be completely voluntary, without coercion or equalization."