Ho Chi Minh City: Do not 'abuse sponsorship' to become a mandatory revenue

In response to information reflecting that some schools have not properly implemented the guidelines for collecting and mobilizing funding in schools, creating negative public opinion towards the education and training sector, on September 19, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City issued a document requesting units to strengthen the management of revenue, expenditure and mobilizing funding for education.

Illustration photo: Thu Hoai/VNA

Accordingly, when mobilizing funding in education , schools need to develop a fundraising plan that clearly defines the content, purpose, beneficiaries, budget estimates and implementation plans for activities requiring funding. The fundraising plan of schools must be approved by the People's Committee of the commune, ward or Department of Education and Training (according to the management hierarchy) before organizing the fundraising and in the spirit of volunteerism, not equalization, and not "abusing sponsorship" to become a mandatory revenue.

Schools need to expand their funding targets, not focus on mobilizing from parents; do not arbitrarily set up illegal fees, outside the list of instructions of the Department of Education and Training on behalf of the Parents' Representative Board.

All collections must be fully and publicly announced in writing to parents and students by the school. Schools must not allow the Parents' Representative Committee to implement the school's collection contents; absolutely must not change the name or arbitrarily add any additional collections that arise outside of the regulations. Schools also need to pay attention to implementing the collection time extension, not organize the collection of many collections at the same time and fully comply with the financial management regime as prescribed.

The Department strictly prohibits the use of the name of the Parents' Representative Board to collect fees other than those specified in Circular No. 55 of the Ministry of Education and Training . The operating budget of the Parents' Representative Board is managed and used by the Parents' Representative Board and only serves the direct operations of the Parents' Representative Board. The operating budget of the Parents' Representative Board is approved through voluntary support, without specifying the average level of support for parents. The collection and expenditure of the Parents' Representative Board must ensure the principles of publicity and democracy.

According to regulations, the funds of the Parents' Representative Board cannot be used for the following purposes: "Protecting school facilities, ensuring school security, supervising students' vehicles, cleaning classrooms, cleaning schools, rewarding school administrators, teachers, and staff, purchasing machinery, equipment, and teaching aids for schools, classes, or for administrators, teachers, and staff, supporting management work, organizing teaching and educational activities, repairing, upgrading, and constructing new school facilities.

The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City requested the People's Committees of wards, communes and special zones to urgently issue guidelines on collection and expenditure for educational institutions according to the management hierarchy, in which, the collection level framework must be unified in accordance with the actual situation of each locality. Units should strengthen the direction of state management on the implementation of collection and expenditure in educational institutions, absolutely not allowing the situation of over-collection at the beginning of the school year; strengthen inspection according to the management hierarchy, promptly correct the situation of over-collection or collection of illegal fees; have strict handling measures for the Principals of educational institutions that collect and spend money in violation of regulations.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/tp-ho-chi-minh-khong-lam-dung-tai-tro-thanh-khoan-thu-bat-buoc-20250919190458032.htm