Free tuition helps families feel secure in giving birth and raising children
On the afternoon of May 22, National Assembly deputies discussed in groups the Draft Resolution of the National Assembly on tuition exemption and support for preschool children, primary school students, and students of general education programs at educational institutions in the national education system; Draft Resolution of the National Assembly on popularizing preschool education for preschool children from 3 to 5 years old.
Contributing opinions, National Assembly delegate Truong Xuan Cu (Hanoi delegation) expressed that the tuition exemption policy is a long-standing desire and desire of the people. However, the delegate proposed that, in addition to the tuition exemption policy, how can public schools limit other tuition fees?
Extra learning, extra teaching is just right, but with the budget, it is enough, that is the comprehensive superiority. In schools in Hanoi, fees are not uncommon. The State has basically taken care of the big things, don't affect your superior policies for others" - he said.
Regarding the popularization of preschool education, Mr. Cu noted that the development of the project will not be simple, especially in mountainous areas.
"In the context of the large population reduction and merger, can 4-5 children open a class? Where to place? Is there a central kindergarten in the commune, what are the village facilities?
This requires assigning responsibility to localities for research and construction. The mountainous region can have its own characteristics, 10 children or just 5-6 children are also precious. Otherwise, it is weak, if it is poor, it will be even more difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to have policies suitable for the region" - Mr. Cu raised the issue.
National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Lan (Hanoi delegation) said that in the context of Vietnam facing a low birth rate in many large cities and entering the population aging stage, exemption and support for tuition fees will help families feel secure in giving birth and raising children, thereby contributing to the goal of maintaining replacement fertility, ensuring a reasonable population structure, and sustainable development of the country.
The delegate said that it is necessary to carefully assess the ability of localities to balance their budgets, especially provinces that have not yet balanced their budgets. The government needs to calculate compensation to ensure resources for these localities, avoiding cases where policies are good but there are not enough resources to implement, leading to delays or uneven implementation.
Research on organizing second lessons without tuition fees
Speaking to clarify some issues raised by delegates, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that the National Assembly will decide on the orientation and policy goals for popularizing preschool education and assigned the Government to develop a detailed plan for implementation in 5 years.
"The implementation process is elaborate and challenging because it requires not only resources but also many other factors" - the Minister said.
The head of the education sector said that the provinces have not yet balanced their budgets to exempt or reduce tuition fees, and the central budget will compensate for support. More than VND 30,000 billion that the Government submitted to the National Assembly has been calculated to compensate localities.
Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training is urgently submitting to the Prime Minister a draft decree to replace Decrees 81 and 97, expected to be completed in June to soon issue as a basis for implementation in practice.
Regarding the proposal to limit the collection of other fees, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that there is currently extra teaching in schools for 3 subjects: Students with weak academic performance, fostering excellent students and reviewing for the graduation exam. Circular 29 clearly states that no tuition fee is collected, the school is responsible for organizing and considering support for the school and teachers depending on local conditions.
The Conclusion Notice of the General Secretary sent to the education sector includes content on the plan to organize a second class for students in schools. The Minister said that he will prepare a plan in the spirit of not collecting tuition fees from students. This policy will be implemented from the new school year, as well as aiming for public general education without tuition fees.
