Director of the Department of Education and Training of Binh Dinh province, Dao Duc Tuan, has just requested the Principals of High Schools and affiliated schools; Director of the Provincial Center for Continuing Education to organize a review and inspection of the 2024-2025 school year's revenues to rectify the situation of mobilizing contributions of revenues outside of regulations.
The Director of the Department of Education and Training of Binh Dinh province made such a request because according to the reflection of some parents, the Parents' Representative Committee of Phu Cat High School No. 3 mobilized to collect money to buy televisions for teaching; the Parents' Representative Board of Nguyen Huu Quang High School mobilized to collect money to build a student parking lot.
Not only these two schools, but many schools in other localities have illegal fees at the beginning of the school year.
The parents' committee collects money and encourages parents to do so voluntarily, but in reality, everyone has to pay, as if it were a mandatory fee. For well-off families, it is not a big deal, but for poor families, paying an extra amount of money will affect their daily life.
Because of the overcharging in schools, parents believe that the Parents' Representative Committee was established only to collect money for the school. Many even believe that in order to eliminate the overcharging, the Parents' Representative Committee should be abolished.
Some people think that there should be a Parents’ Representative Committee to act as a bridge between the school and the family, and to allow those who care about education to contribute their efforts and resources. But the question is whether there is a need for a Parents’ Representative Committee to connect the school and the parents.
Nowadays, schools can post information on the unit's portal, parents can follow all information on the school's page. Parents can interact with the school, with teachers, openly and transparently.
In case someone wants to sponsor the construction of toilets, school gates, computers, televisions... that is the business of individuals or organizations. These people voluntarily contribute, and have nothing to do with the organization that collects money per capita. This is acceptable because it is not overcharging but sponsorship.
Without a Parents' Representative Committee, schools and teachers can still communicate with parents.
There is no Parents' Representative Committee. If individuals or organizations want to sponsor materials for teaching and learning, they still work directly with the school.
So, if the Parents' Representative Committee only has the job of mobilizing parents to pay money, does it need to exist or should it be abolished?
