Parents complain about school fund collection, principal says it's a fundraising plan

The roof of Ernst Thälmann High School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) was damaged after a hailstorm in June and the school is calling for funding to repair it.

In response to the opinions of parents, speaking with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters, Mr. Nguyen Hung Khuong, Principal of Ernst Thälmann High School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), affirmed that the school does not collect school or class funds.

According to the principal of Ernst Thälmann High School, this year the school will not collect operating fees from the school's parent-teacher association. As for the parent-teacher association of each class, the school encourages not to collect fees. It will only be mobilized when the class has activities such as sports, performing arts, and photocopying documents. When there are activities, the class parent-teacher association will notify and mobilize parents to support on a voluntary basis, each time collecting no more than 200,000 VND and not being equalized.

In addition, Mr. Nguyen Hung Khuong said that the school has developed a plan to mobilize funding to repair small projects and support student activities that has been approved by the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City. These include items such as repairing the school yard roof that was severely damaged after the hailstorm on the evening of June 14, equipping a sound system, supporting scientific research activities, movement activities, and rewarding students...

"The school implements the fundraising activities in accordance with Circular No. 16/2018/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training. Accordingly, the school organizes fundraising activities on a voluntary basis, without imposition or equalization. The school will manage the revenue and expenditure from this fundraising activity. In fact, many parents have transferred tens of thousands of VND into the school's fundraising account, some parents have transferred over 1 million VND," said the head of Ernst Thälmann High School.

According to Mr. Khuong, the projects that the school mobilized were all implemented in the form of cash or in kind. Up to now, 2 parents and 1 philanthropist outside the school have sponsored the schoolyard roof project for students. Some parents have sponsored the repair and maintenance of the sound system for classrooms and the schoolyard. These projects are all implemented in the form of "turnkey".

Schools do not develop widespread mobilization plans.

Previously, in the meeting on implementing the school year plan, Mr. Tran Khac Huy, Head of the Financial Planning Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, requested that schools carefully study two circulars regulating the operating budget of the parent-teacher association (Circular 55) and the regulations on mobilizing and receiving sponsorship from public schools (Circular 16). Absolutely do not take advantage of the regulations in Circular 55 to mobilize sponsorship. The parent-teacher association mobilizes funding to have operating budget to serve the students themselves, not to have operating budget for the school. The school does not use the parent-teacher association to mobilize revenue.

The Head of the Financial Planning Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training emphasized that the principal needs to apply Circular 16 to mobilize sponsorship, with discussion, exchange, and agreement with the school's parent representative board. The mobilization is only for minor repairs and practical educational activities for students. The mobilization plan must be approved by the Department of Education and Training before the school organizes implementation. In particular, when building a mobilization plan, the school must have clear goals, not build a widespread mobilization plan.

At the same time, Mr. Tran Khac Huy reminded schools not to develop widespread mobilization plans that affect parents and schools.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phu-huynh-phan-anh-thu-quy-truong-hieu-truong-noi-la-ke-hoach-van-dong-tai-tro-185241001160926907.htm