National Assembly delegates proposed to carefully prepare conditions for universalizing preschool education.

On June 16, the National Assembly discussed in the hall two important draft resolutions in the field of education: universalizing preschool education (PED) for children from 3 to 5 years old and exempting and supporting tuition fees for preschool children, general school students, and those studying general education programs in the national education system.

Discussion session on 2 resolutions. Photo: QUANG PHUC

The majority of National Assembly deputies agreed with the issuance of the two resolutions, assessing this as a major policy of the Party and State, expected by the people, contributing to reducing the burden of education costs and creating conditions for children to go to school.

Commenting on the draft for universalizing preschool education, delegate Nguyen Anh Tri ( Hanoi ) suggested adjusting the regulations so that children from 3 to 5 years old are supported, not limited to educational institutions. He emphasized that there are still about 300,000 children who have not been able to go to school due to difficult circumstances , parents without stable jobs, and unstable lives.

Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri emphasized: "Many children in especially difficult circumstances - parents working as construction workers, street vendors, scrap collectors, housekeepers... with low income - have not been able to go to school and face many disadvantages. They really need the attention of the Party and the State."

Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi). Photo: QUANG PHUC

Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh ( Vinh Long ) warned that universalizing preschool education requires huge resources and careful preparation is needed to avoid delays like when universalizing preschool education for 5-year-olds in the past. She suggested increasing support for disadvantaged areas, industrial zones, border areas, and islands; ensuring lunch for children; investing in facilities and policies to attract preschool teachers; and at the same time, there should be policies to encourage businesses to invest in preschool education...

President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and delegates at the morning session on June 16. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Delegate Nguyen Thi Mai Hoa (Dong Thap) also expressed concern about the number of disadvantaged children who have not yet attended school and said that special attention should be paid to this group of children, otherwise there will be "deviations" that we cannot popularize for this group.

Meanwhile, delegate Pham Van Hoa (Dong Thap) suggested that there should be special policies to attract preschool teachers, especially in places where recruitment is difficult, and that selection should be applied instead of exams.

Regarding the draft on tuition exemption and support, delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong) proposed that the Government soon have a mechanism to compensate for costs for public educational institutions, ensuring that when this resolution comes into effect, its implementation will take place smoothly and smoothly right from the beginning of the new school year.

Some delegates also proposed that support should be provided directly to non-public educational institutions instead of parents, to ensure accuracy and convenience in terms of administrative procedures, and to avoid the situation where families receive money but do not send their children to school.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong). Photo: QUANG PHUC

Explaining to the National Assembly, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that there are currently 38 countries that completely exempt tuition fees for preschool students, most of which are high-income countries; 90 countries partially exempt or support different groups in society. Under Vietnam's conditions, the Central Government has unified these two policies, demonstrating the superiority of our regime.

Regarding the concerns of the National Assembly member about how to pay tuition fees for non-public students, the Minister said that the Government will consider the technical aspects further, because each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. The Government proposed to give it to parents to partially compensate for the money they have spent on tuition fees for their children, which is also feasible because the database is sufficient. This is only a technical factor, the Government will consider and calculate further.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son spoke to explain and clarify issues raised by National Assembly deputies on the morning of June 16. Photo: QUANG PHUC

The Minister said that the Government currently regulates tuition fees for three regions, based on the standard of living and cost of living, with three different collection levels. The Government is directing the development of a new decree on tuition fees to be issued in time with the National Assembly's resolution. He emphasized that investment spending on education comes from many sources, not just tuition fees, and schools really need support from localities. The decree to be issued will be carefully calculated by the ministries, in accordance with the conditions of each region.

Regarding universalizing preschool education for 3-5 year old children, the Ministry of Education and Training is urgently preparing resources and staff to ensure feasibility according to the Government's direction.

The Minister also thanked the National Assembly for passing the Law on Teachers, thanked the people for always accompanying the industry, and pledged to continue making efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.

LAM NGUYEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-de-nghi-chuan-bi-ky-dieu-kien-de-pho-cap-giao-duc-mam-non-post799681.html