'Not increasing university tuition fees is a huge challenge for the education sector'

Responding to the press about higher education, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son said that in the context of many economic difficulties, the Government has set a very clear goal of stabilizing the macro economy, controlling inflation, enhancing social security, and stabilizing people's lives. Not increasing fees and tuition fees is also implementing this policy of the Government, supporting the people.

Thứ trưởng Bộ GD-ĐT nói gì về tăng học phí giáo dục đại học? - Ảnh 1. — Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son answered reporters' questions at a press conference this afternoon, August 5.

In the near future, the Ministry of Education and Training will coordinate with ministries and branches to complete the draft decree amending tuition fees to soon submit to the Government.

Mr. Son assessed that not increasing university tuition fees will be a huge challenge for the education sector to fulfill this task well. Overall, regarding education finance in general, and university finance in particular, tuition fees are not the only source. However, with current university education, tuition fees account for a large part of financial costs, accounting for about 80 - 90%.

According to Mr. Son, the issue of tuition fees being kept the same or adjusted, the Ministry of Education and Training certainly wants, if not increased, at least to keep it stable. The role of the State in this issue is very important.

University education activities in our country rely on three main mechanisms: financial mechanism for higher education institutions; tuition policy; university support policy.

"These issues are currently specified in Decree 60 on financial mechanisms for non-public institutions and Decree 81 on university tuition fees. These are considered two wheels for higher education institutions to operate. Decree 60 stipulates the process and roadmap for calculating service prices, including tuition fees, reducing direct costs from the state budget, implemented from 2021. Decree 81 on tuition fees was issued from 2021, but has not yet been implemented according to the proposed roadmap," said Mr. Son.

Emphasizing that ensuring the maintenance of the quality of university education is a big challenge, especially in matters of maintaining the teaching staff, spending on facilities, service work, etc., the leader of the Ministry of Education and Training also affirmed: "The Ministry of Education and Training will make great efforts, and at the same time request other ministries, branches, and localities to pay attention and coordinate."

The Ministry of Education and Training proposed that the Government not yet implement the roadmap for calculating service prices and reducing state budget expenditures in Decree 60 so as not to reduce regular expenditures for universities, especially public universities; and have policies to support universities, especially in the context that schools are not allowed to increase tuition fees.

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