Students have to pay 800,000 VND to perform art, school speaks out

(Dan Tri) - A representative of Thang Long High School (Hanoi) said that they have worked with the parent representatives of each class to request that they not solicit sponsorship by setting a prescribed fee.

Some parents of Thang Long High School reported that students of two 11th grade classes had to pay 800,000 VND to perform at the school's art program.

According to the content of the message provided by the parents, the class parent committee hired a choreographer and the class executive committee to create the program. To have the funds to carry out the program, the parent committee proposed to pay 800,000 VND/student.

"We, the parents' committee, look forward to your support and cooperation in this important event for your children.

In addition to the required payment of 800,000 VND, the Parents' Committee would like to call on donors to contribute more to support additional costs for activities such as renting a gym, preparing drinks... for the children," the message said.

Previously, at the beginning of the school year, the parents of the class had contributed 3 million VND/student to support their children’s activities at school during the year. Therefore, the parents thought that the above contribution was too costly for a school-level cultural program.

This art program is organized in the form of a 45-minute live show in early February 2025.

According to the tradition of Thang Long High School, the monthly art programs are organized by the students themselves. Each live show is coordinated by 1 to 2 classes, students come up with ideas, scripts, and performances themselves. Teachers only play a supporting role.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, representative of Thang Long High School said: "From the beginning of the school year, in the working content with parents, the school advocated: the art program of each class needs to be implemented according to the right purpose of creating opportunities for students in the whole class to connect, creating opportunities for all students to demonstrate their abilities, strengths and thoroughly imbuing the spirit of thrift, practicality, and maximizing the capacity of students.

The school has agreed in parent-teacher meetings: The performing arts activities of the classes need to be carried out in the spirit of thrift, focusing on substance, students editing, writing scripts and being creative themselves, avoiding asking for choreography, avoiding renting elaborate costumes, encouraging students to wear school uniforms to perform.

Upon receiving the feedback, the school worked with the classes to request that the parent-teacher association, if it conducts a fundraising campaign, do so on a voluntary basis and not set a fee. How much each individual or organization sponsors depends on their wishes.

Previously, a similar incident occurred at Nguyen Chi Thanh Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City. The parents' committee of a class planned to spend 21 million VND on a performance to celebrate November 20, causing a reaction within the class.

The school then asked the class parents' committee to stop this contribution.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Ms. VPC, a music teacher at an inter-level school in Hanoi, said that since art was included in the new general education program as an important component of comprehensive education, school arts must also change to truly shoulder the responsibility of aesthetic education for students.

Many schools that innovate teaching and learning methods also use art as a tool to convey knowledge, especially interdisciplinary education content.

"The above factors have affected the "quality" and "quantity" of school arts, making this activity more professional. To be professional, there must be funding. Most schools need the support of parents to socialize arts activities," the female teacher shared.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/hoc-sinh-phai-dong-800000-dong-de-bieu-dien-van-nghe-nha-truong-len-tieng-20241205163125133.htm