Calling on parents to sponsor computers and TVs, the Department of Education and Training has not approved yet, what did the principal say?

Parents of students at a high school in Ho Chi Minh City reported that each student had to 'quickly pay' 700,000 VND to have computers, televisions, and speakers in time to serve their studies, and 300,000 VND from the parents' fund. What did the principal of this school explain about the above concerns?

List of parents of students who have paid for fundraising

PHOTO: BICH THANH

Mobilizing to equip classrooms with televisions, computers, and speakers but not yet permitted

Parents of students at Tran Quang Khai High School ( Hoa Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) reported: "Parents of 10th grade students must pay to buy computers, televisions, and speakers for each class to use for 3 years at a rate of 700,000 VND/student. The homeroom teacher held a meeting to ask parents to pay urgently so that they can have equipment for learning in time." This parent reacted and asked why the school forced parents to pay to buy equipment for the school?

At the same time, parents reported: "Tran Quang Khai High School also imposes a general collection rate of 300,000 VND for the school's parent fund collection. As far as I know, other collections outside of the regulations are made on the basis of voluntary contributions according to the ability and circumstances of each parent and student, and are not allowed to impose such a collection rate. I hope the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education will inspect and handle the school's overcharging situation."

Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Nguyen Tan Tai, Principal of Tran Quang Khai High School, said that in July, when 10th grade students entered school, the school allowed parents to register to participate in a class on investing in audio-visual equipment for learning. As a result, over 90% of parents registered to participate.

Based on that, the school built a plan to mobilize sponsorship for 16 sets of televisions, computers, and speakers for this class. In the fundraising plan sent for approval from the Department of Education and Training, the school clearly reported the content of the sponsorship request for the equipment with specific configurations and values.

According to the Principal of Tran Quang Khai High School, the school announced and called for sponsorship during the parent-teacher meeting on September 20. The school did not give a specific contribution amount, but only informed that the equipment for each class was worth about 28 million VND. Mr. Tai said: "The collection is up to the parents of each class, the school does not receive money directly. The classes can divide the amount of money like that for convenience, but the school does not collect the same amount of money."

Regarding the parent fund of 300,000 VND/student, Mr. Tai affirmed that the school does not collect the fund, but in the school's fundraising plan, there is content to support club activities, cultural and artistic activities, sports ... of students.

11th grade students of Tran Quang Khai High School study with sponsored exercise equipment when entering 10th grade.

PHOTO: BICH THANH

The school does not keep fundraising money, only receives equipment.

Thanh Nien reporter asked on September 20, when meeting with parents and implementing and calling for sponsorship, was this plan approved by the HCM City Department of Education and Training?

Principal of Tran Quang Khai School said that when implementing the plan to mobilize parents to sponsor computers, televisions, and speakers, it had not been approved by the Department of Education and Training. "The school was subjective because the plan to mobilize parents to sponsor the above equipment had been implemented by the school for the past 3 years and this year's 11th and 12th graders are using this equipment. That's why it was rushed to implement," said Mr. Tai.

In addition, Mr. Tai said that after the parent meeting on Monday (September 22), when the school saw that the fundraising plan had not been approved by the Department, on September 23, the school announced the suspension of the fundraising activities. When the school received the decision to approve the fundraising plan from the Department of Education and Training, it would continue to mobilize.

When Thanh Nien reporter asked about the amount of money raised from the parent meeting until the announcement of the temporary suspension of fundraising, Principal of Tran Quang Khai High School said that the school did not know the number. Mr. Tai further explained that the parents of each class were holding this amount of money. The school had already equipped the infrastructure, transmission system, and received funding in the form of "turnkey", meaning that the classes brought in the equipment, and the school organized the reception and connection of the equipment for each class.

Mr. Tai added that in case any class is not equipped with the equipment as stated in the mobilization plan, for example, there is a lack of computers, the school will arrange computers in the computer room if appropriate, but does not require the classes to be equipped with the correct configuration as stated in the school's mobilization plan.

According to Thanh Nien reporter's investigation, for example, in class 10A3, almost all parents have completed their donations to sponsor TVs, computers, and speakers, at different levels, from 200,000 VND to 700,000 VND...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/van-dong-phu-huynh-tai-tro-may-tinh-tivi-so-gd-dt-chua-duyet-hieu-truong-noi-gi-185250926093515091.htm