The school is "voluntary", but parents still have to pay 312,000 VND?

(NLDO) - Parents of a primary school in Quang Tri reported that they were asked to sign a "voluntary" contribution, but the minimum amount of 312,000 VND was already set.

Nam Ly Primary School No. 1 - Photo by Hoang Phuc

Following the report by the Lao Dong Newspaper on the early-year collections at some schools in Quang Tri province, many parents in the localities continue to believe that the "voluntary" fees at schools are being set at a fixed level. They are worried that if they do not pay, their children will be "noticed".

On October 13, parents of Nam Ly Primary School No. 1 (Dong Hoi Ward) said they were asked to sign a "voluntary" contribution list, but the amount of money was agreed upon by the parents' association.

According to the report, the list has a column for the student's name, parent's name and signature, but the amount is not listed. However, parents are informed of the minimum payment of 312,000 VND/student, which is considered the "general amount" set for the entire school.

"Everyone was given a list, signed and paid money, no one asked if it was really voluntary or not. This is clearly forced. If I don't pay, there will be many problems later" - a parent worried.

According to this parent, for families with only one child, this amount of money can be managed. But for many parents with two children studying at the same school, the amount of money has to be doubled, becoming a real burden - especially for low-income households.

What worries them the most is that this "voluntary" fee no longer seems to be a choice, but has become an "obligation" that must be performed at this school.

The school only made a list and parents "voluntarily" signed to pay the total amount of 312,000 VND.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Principal of Nam Ly Primary School No. 1, confirmed that there is a fundraising campaign, with a total estimated amount of 318 million VND to replace the sliding board, install Wi-Fi, replace electrical wires and repair facilities...

According to Ms. Huyen, the school does not set a contribution level, the appeal is based on the spirit of volunteerism, "those who have the conditions can support". Regarding the reflection that some classes set a minimum level of 312,000 VND, she said that "this is a way of doing things against regulations, not in the spirit of volunteerism" and affirmed that it will check and correct.

Stirring up the "facility support" of 200,000 VND/student

Previously, Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper reported that parents of Thuan Duc Primary and Secondary School in Dong Son Ward, Quang Tri Province reported many fees at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, such as: bicycle parking fee of VND 44,000, electric vehicle fee of VND 88,000, security fee of VND 40,000, cleaning fee of VND 40,000 (4 months/time); material support of VND 200,000/student.

Parents are concerned that these items overlap with the prohibited content under Circular 55/2011/TT-BGDDT on the Parents' Representative Board.

Mr. Pham Hung, Principal of Thuan Duc Primary and Secondary School, said that all fees are guided by the Department of Education and Training and approved by the Ward People's Committee. "Fees such as parking, cleaning, and security are voluntary services; and support for facilities is also collected on a voluntary basis, without a fixed amount," he said.

Mr. Doan Hong Quan, Chairman of Dong Son Ward People's Committee, said that the locality has directed an inspection of the reflection content to clarify.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/truong-van-dong-tu-nguyen-phu-huynh-van-phai-dong-312000-dong-196251013165156256.htm