'Holding the stack of papers to get signatures to agree on the fees at the first parent meeting of the year, my heart was heavy'

One of the concerns of parents is the collection of fees at the beginning of the school year. In some places, the collection of fees is smooth, transparent, and public, but in other places, it is difficult to get the consensus of all parents at the parent-teacher meeting at the beginning of the school year. This not only makes parents but also homeroom teachers sometimes feel awkward.

Reader Le Phuong Tri sent Tuoi Tre Online an article sharing about this issue.

Parents and homeroom teachers for a goal of better, more diligent students

Holding the stack of papers "Parents' Opinion Form on Tuition Fees for the 2025-2026 School Year" that the principal gave to the homeroom teacher to get parents' consent signatures in the first meeting of the year, my heart was heavy.

I dream again about those parent-teacher meetings at the beginning of the school year from decades ago.

After more than 40 years of teaching, I remember well the first meetings of the school year of the old days.

At that time, the homeroom teacher was excited because he was about to meet the parents to discuss teaching and the educational measures he would apply in the new school year for naughty and industrious students.

Teachers will comment on the class situation after a short time of contact with students and note to parents the things that students in their class are not good or not good at, and need to overcome in the new school year in terms of ethics, study, order, hygiene, etc.

Parents listen, then point out their children's strengths and weaknesses to ask teachers to pay attention and remind them in the new school year.

The whole first parent-teacher meeting of the year was aimed at one goal: to help students improve their behavior and study harder in the new school year. Teachers boldly presented, parents confidently spoke.

Fees make parent-teacher conferences difficult

The current focus of the parent-teacher meeting at the beginning of the school year is 100% of parents signing their consent to the school's revenues, from boarding fees, lunch fees, drinking water fees, fees for STEM subjects, life skills, IT, intensive English, English for foreigners, fees for participating in clubs, etc.

Parents have questions and the homeroom teacher must answer, then mobilize parents to sign to reach the target of 100% parent agreement before the school can carry out activities for the new school year.

If there are many parents in the class who have questions, the meeting will drag on and the homeroom teacher will almost have to beg the parents to sign their names to finish.

Many parents' opinions are correct, not wrong, such as: "My child has learned English with foreigners at a foreign language center, can't my child learn it at school?", "Life skills content is nothing new, parents can teach it at home, why should they learn it?".

"STEM has been integrated into the subjects in the 2018 General Education Program, so why do I have to pay tuition?", "My child always brings water to drink, can I not pay for drinking water?",...

However, the homeroom teacher must find every way to explain to the parents to get them to sign because if only one parent does not agree, the homeroom teacher will be given a bad evaluation. And the parent must be invited to meet the school board to continue explaining and for the parent to sign.

That's why in the first parent meeting of the year, homeroom teachers almost focus on "begging" and "entrancing" parents to sign their consent.

The parent-teacher meeting at the beginning of the school year, which was supposed to only be about education and training of students' abilities and qualities, has become burdensome for homeroom teachers and parents because of fees!

Back to topic

LE PHUONG TRI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cam-xap-giay-lay-chu-ky-dong-thuan-cac-khoan-thu-buoi-hop-phu-huynh-dau-nam-long-toi-nang-triu-20250912203225698.htm