Ensuring learning conditions and preventing overcharging in education in Ho Chi Minh City

The current state of facilities, schools and overcharging at the beginning of the new school year is attracting public attention.

Reporter of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper talked with Dr. Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, about this issue.

Reporter: Recently, the state of facilities and schools has been degraded; students have to study in temporary rooms (especially in region II - Binh Duong ) . What is the cause, madam?

- Dr. NGUYEN THI NHAT HANG: After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City has nearly 3,500 educational institutions from kindergarten to high school and about 2.5 million students at all levels. Despite difficulties, in the 2025-2026 school year, the city still ensures 100% of study places for students in the area. This is a great determination of authorities at all levels for the cause of education and training, through investing in facilities, ensuring the teaching staff meets teaching requirements. This is also a great effort of educational units that we need to acknowledge.

However, it can be seen that the physical conditions and school conditions in the city have significant differences between regions; some schools have not met the physical standards as prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training. The difficulties are mainly concentrated in densely populated areas, bordering or rapidly urbanizing areas, which are facing student overload.

Through reviewing the physical facilities in preparation for the new school year, we have noted that some schools have not met standards due to missing or degraded items, such as classrooms not being enough to organize 2 sessions/day; functional rooms, libraries, and specialized rooms not meeting standards or in the process of completion; equipment, tables and chairs, and auxiliary infrastructure are damaged, unsightly, and have not been maintained or repaired... These shortcomings, especially in densely populated areas, pressure on student numbers due to rapid urbanization..., have caused negative public opinion for the city's education and training sector at the beginning of the new school year.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City

. It's only the beginning of the school year but there are already such negative public opinions. What specific solutions does the HCM City Department of Education and Training have to overcome these problems?

- Implementing the direction of the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on September 22, 2025 on a general review and consultation on a comprehensive plan for facilities and teaching equipment at all public schools in the area, the Department of Education and Training has requested the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones to urgently classify and assess the level of damage and degradation. At the same time, strictly implement the direction of the Chairman of the City People's Committee on proactively arranging and advancing funds from the local budget to immediately repair items at risk of being unsafe, ensuring teaching conditions for students and teachers.

In particular, we require localities and educational establishments to regularly inspect and evaluate the quality and safety of construction works, classrooms, restrooms, electricity and water systems; carry out maintenance, repair, and ensure safety and hygiene conditions for schools according to regulations.

In addition, strictly carry out regular inspections and assessments of fire prevention and fighting, escape corridor structures, safety signs; establish incident response plans; be responsible for ensuring safety conditions for organizing educational activities of the school and report to the direct superior management agency on matters beyond their authority for timely direction and resolution. In addition, proactively propose and self-balance budget to invest in purchasing teaching equipment, meeting the minimum conditions according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and related regulations.

Currently, many schools have been in use for a long time and are increasingly degraded, requiring maintenance, repair, upkeep or investment in replacement construction to ensure safety. At the same time, it is necessary to continue to expand the scale and build a network of new schools to provide places for students to study.

In the coming time, we will focus on monitoring the state management of education in Region II, to remind them to strengthen the implementation of maintenance and improvement of classroom conditions, student desks and chairs, and school toilets. Currently, some schools need to pay attention to their facilities according to related criteria.

The above situation is mainly concentrated in densely populated areas, bordering or rapidly urbanizing areas and facing student overload. We have conducted a review and requested the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones to urgently classify schools and classes, assess the level of damage and degradation; and ensure that students have safe and qualified places to study. We also coordinated with the Department of Finance to guide localities to proactively arrange and advance funds from the local budget to immediately repair items at risk of unsafety.

Students of Trinh Hoai Duc High School, Thuan An Ward, Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning of the new school year. Photo: SY HUNG

. Does the situation of "chaotic collection" in educational institutions, taking advantage of the name of the parent-teacher association to collect fees outside of regulations, happen? What will be the form of handling if this situation continues?

- Circular 55/2011 of the Ministry of Education and Training has specifically regulated this matter, but recently there has been a situation in some educational institutions where the parent representative committee has used its name to mobilize contributions outside of the regulations, causing parents to be upset. The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has quickly grasped the feedback information and promptly directed to correct and prevent this situation.

According to Circular 55, the Parents' Association is organized each school year to coordinate with the school in carrying out educational activities. The Parents' Association's use of the name of mobilizing parents to contribute money that does not directly serve its activities is against the regulations.

The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has issued many documents directing and providing detailed instructions on fundraising according to Circular 16/2018 of the Ministry of Education and Training, specifically and most recently Document 2705 guiding the implementation of Circular 55 and Circular 16.

In particular, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City specifically prohibits the use of the name of the Parents' Association to collect fees outside of regulations. Do not take advantage of sponsorship to force parents to contribute; do not consider fundraising as a condition for providing education and training services; do not stipulate average sponsorship levels or minimum sponsorship levels.

Schools must publicly, transparently, and in detail disclose all revenues and expenditures on the bulletin board, website of the unit or parent group. The Department of Education and Training requires schools to guide the parent representative committee to operate in accordance with the charter, and not to organize revenues and expenditures that are not on the list of state regulations.

In addition, the HCM City Department of Education and Training will organize training for school managers and accountants on financial regulations, permitted revenues and revenue and expenditure procedures, to raise awareness and compliance with the law.

The HCM City Department of Education and Training will also organize surprise and regular inspections of the revenue and expenditure situation at the beginning of the school year at educational institutions. The Department requests the People's Committees of wards, communes and special zones to strengthen inspection and supervision of revenue and expenditure in the area; take responsibility for explaining the activities of educational institutions, including the management of revenues.

Through inspection, if the educational institution has any irregular revenue and expenditure, the Department of Education and Training will consider and strictly handle the responsibility of the head of the violating unit. The forms of handling include: Reviewing responsibility; considering disciplinary measures if a serious incident occurs that affects the reputation of the industry such as reprimand, warning, or even more severe discipline, which can affect competition and job position.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will make compliance with regulations on financial revenue and expenditure a prerequisite when evaluating year-end competition of schools and individual managers.

Public and transparent revenue

The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City requires schools to implement public and transparent collection of fees. The organization of collection in schools must be unified. In addition, the effectiveness of supervision by management agencies on the collection of educational institutions must be improved. Parents and society must have a basis for comparison and participation in supervising the organization of educational activities of schools, avoiding overcharging, causing public outrage.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training also publicized the hotline number 028.38.223.358 and the email address sgddt@tphcm.gov.vn to receive feedback from parents, students, organizations and individuals...

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bao-dam-dieu-kien-hoc-tap-ngan-chan-loan-thu-196250928210758887.htm