After Lao Dong Newspaper's reflection on "Parents' representative board accused of overcharging, school forced to stop sponsorship", on January 16, the Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee directed the Chairman of Quy Nhon Nam Ward People's Committee to investigate, verify and handle the information reflected by the newspaper. The Chairman of Quy Nhon Nam Ward People's Committee is responsible for summarizing and reporting the verification and handling results to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee before January 20.
Along with the province's direction, the Department of Education and Training of Gia Lai province has issued a document directing localities and units directly under the Department to rectify the situation of overcharging in schools immediately after the reflection of Lao Dong Newspaper.
According to Mr. Pham Van Nam - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Gia Lai province, at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the Department issued an official dispatch guiding the temporary implementation of collections in public educational institutions in the province. The document clearly states: Resolutely do not allow overcharging to occur, and be responsible to higher management agencies if violations occur.
However, through the newspaper's reflection on the situation of schools mobilizing hundreds of millions of VND to make roofs and clean up, the Parents' Representative Board (BDDPH) being accused of overcharging by parents, the Department of Education and Training requested the People's Committees of communes and wards to direct directly affiliated educational institutions; units directly under the Department to seriously rectify the situation of overcharging in schools.
Schools mobilizing sponsorship must strictly comply with Circular No. 16/2018/TT-BGDDT dated August 3, 2018 of the Minister of Education and Training stipulating sponsorship for educational institutions under the national education system.
In particular, it is not allowed to take advantage of the name BDDPH according to Circular No. 55/2011/TT-BGDDT dated November 22, 2011 of the Minister of Education and Training to collect illegal fees: "It is not allowed to collect fees such as: Protection of school facilities, ensuring school security; supervision of students' vehicles participating in traffic; classroom cleaning, school hygiene; rewarding management officials, teachers, school staff; purchasing machinery, equipment, teaching aids for schools, classrooms or for management officials, teachers and school staff; supporting management, teaching organization and educational activities; repairing, upgrading, and building new school buildings".
As Lao Dong Newspaper has reported, from the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, BDDPH has mobilized parents to donate money to build roofs and clean up with a total estimated cost of 624 million VND for 52 classes, each class 12 million VND.
To date, BDDPH has collected more than 457 million VND, spent more than 312 million VND on roofing and cleaning, leaving more than 144 million VND. In the second semester, BDDPH continued to mobilize parents to donate more than 110 million VND to maintain cleaning activities...
In response to parents' feedback, BDDPH affirmed that the sponsorship mobilization for roofing and cleaning was carried out on a voluntary basis, stemming from parents' wishes to create a clean and airy learning environment for students; no specific contribution levels were stipulated, no even distribution, and parents supported depending on their ability.
However, through verification, the BDDPH determined that the 2x class leader implemented the mobilization not in accordance with the spirit of voluntariness when the support level was evenly divided among parents. Therefore, the BDDPH agreed to return the entire amount of money that this class supported.
Ms. Mac Hoan To Quyen - Principal of Nguyen Van Cu Elementary School - said that BDDPH has proposed to return the support funds to class 2x. Currently, the school has requested BDDPH to clarify the reflected content, have specific answers to parents and report to the school to have a basis for summarizing and reporting to superiors. Currently, the school still requests to stop receiving sponsorships to clarify the entire case.
