Dak Lak only collects 120,000 VND for boarding, how much are other provinces collecting?

(Dan Tri) - Dak Lak only allows schools to collect boarding services of 120,000 VND/month, putting many schools at risk of having to stop boarding activities. Many provinces and cities are currently collecting at the old rate before the merger.

Many schools in Dak Lak are facing the risk of having to stop boarding activities because the new service fee after the merger is too low, not enough to cover operating costs and staff salaries.

Accordingly, in the latest instructions, the Dak Lak Department of Education and Training requires schools to implement collection rates for services such as boarding and after-school childcare according to Resolution 34 of 2023 of the People's Council of the former Phu Yen province.

This resolution stipulates that the fee for hiring cooks and managing boarding students is 120,000 VND/student/month and for purchasing supplies and equipment for boarding students is 100,000 VND/student/year.

Many schools believe that this fee is too low and cannot sustain boarding activities. Last school year, before the merger of Phu Yen and Dak Lak provinces, schools in the old Dak Lak province collected over 200,000 VND/student/month. This fee ensures that school staff participating in boarding activities receive a salary of over 3 million VND/month and are covered by social insurance.

The level of boarding service fees in the provinces and cities after the merger is a matter of public concern. Many provinces and cities choose to maintain the old fees at schools in the area before the merger.

For example, Hai Phong has two collection levels according to the East Hai Phong area (old Hai Phong city) and West Hai Phong (old Hai Duong province). In East Hai Phong, kindergartens and primary schools collect boarding services of 180,000 VND/student/month, and secondary schools collect 185,000 VND/student/month.

West Hai Phong has a higher fee, kindergarten and secondary school charge 305,000 VND/student/month, primary school charges 255,000 VND/student/month. In addition, there is a fuel surcharge and the initial cost of purchasing boarding supplies is about 200-300,000 VND/student/year.

Kon Tum province implements a similar policy. Schools in the former Kon Tum province collect fees and rates according to the provisions of Resolution 22/2021 of the People's Council of the former Kon Tum province. Schools in the former Quang Ngai province collect fees according to the instructions in Official Dispatch No. 1963/2024 of the Department of Education and Training of the former Quang Ngai province.

The image of students at Thai Son Primary School, Nghe An, with a 17,000 VND meal left many good impressions (Photo: Cao Bang).

A special point is that Quang Ngai does not regulate specific fees for this service. Instead, at the beginning of each school year, schools develop revenue and expenditure estimates for each item. Then, the school organizes a school-wide parent conference, solicits opinions from parents of students in each class, agrees on each item, the fee level, and then makes a record.

The school is only allowed to collect fees based on the consent of the parents. The school must also take inventory of boarding equipment from previous school years and base on the boarding plan to develop usage needs and new purchasing budget, and agree with the parents to come up with an appropriate contribution level.

Maintaining two different collection rates according to the old locality before the merger is also the way Da Nang and Dong Nai do. ​​On the contrary, some provinces choose to do the same as Dak Lak, that is, take the old collection rate of one province before the merger as the common collection rate for the new province after the merger.

For example, Ca Mau province collects at the same rate as the old Bac Lieu province, schools are allowed to collect a maximum of 50,000 VND/student/day, including meals, living expenses, and boarding services. An Giang province collects at the same rate as the old Kien Giang province, which is 250,000 VND/student/month at all four levels of education including preschool, primary, secondary and high school.

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the few provinces and cities after the merger that has built a completely new collection level. The maximum collection level that Ho Chi Minh City allows to collect at kindergartens in wards is 550,000 VND/student/month. The collection level for boarding services at primary, secondary and high schools is 350,000-300,000-250,000 respectively.

In commune and special zone areas, the collection level is lower, respectively 500,000-320,000-280,000-230,000.

Currently, many provinces and cities have not yet finalized the revenue and expenditure levels for educational support services for the 2025-2026 school year, including Hanoi.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/dak-lak-chi-cho-thu-120000-dong-tien-ban-tru-cac-tinh-dang-thu-bao-nhieu-20251012203629123.htm