Sharing parents' concerns at the beginning of the school year

At the start of the new school year, many parents cannot avoid concerns about school-related fees, especially those who have left their hometowns to rent rooms in Dong Nai while working as factory laborers on modest incomes.

Dong Nai Newspaper Radio and Television organized the "Supporting children to school" program in 2025 at Phu Vinh commune, on 26-8-2025. Photo: An Nhon

Understanding that situation, the education sector and schools across Dong Nai province have proactively implemented solutions to partly share the difficulties with parents in the new school year.

Proactive with fees at the beginning of the school year

Nguyen Thi Oanh (residing in Quarter 4B, Trang Dai ward) said: She and her husband have rented a room to work as factory workers for more than 16 years. They are working for a company specializing in garment processing with a total income of 15-20 million VND/month. Each time the new school year begins, the amount the family must spend for their two children increases.

“Every expense matters, from uniforms, textbooks, pens, and notebooks to class funds. If we don’t prepare in advance, it becomes a real struggle. My husband and I agreed to cut back on non-essential spending and set aside part of our salaries as a ‘study fund for the children’. That way, when the school year begins, we’re still able to provide for them, ensuring their education while maintaining stability at home,” Oanh shared.

Le Van Trong, a resident of Quarter 11 in Tan Trieu Ward, said schools cannot maintain effective operations without financial support from parents. However, many families still face difficult circumstances, and having to contribute multiple fees at the beginning of the school year can significantly impact their monthly household budget.

In response to this reality, many schools across Dong Nai Province have proactively implemented solutions and publicly disclosed all fees at the start of the new school year.

Ly Thi Luy, Principal of Le Van Tam Primary School (Tan Phu Commune), said that in the 2025–2026 school year, the school has 450 students, including around 60 from disadvantaged backgrounds. Tan Phu is a fully agricultural commune located in a remote area of the province, and many parents still face financial hardship.

Since early August 2025, the school has developed a detailed fee plan for the academic year and widely communicated it to parents. The listed fees include both voluntary and agreed contributions, such as the electronic contact book, enhanced English classes, and accident insurance, as well as compulsory fees, including health insurance, toilet cleaning services, and photocopying costs for quizzes, semester exams, and test papers.

The total amount is approximately 1.2 million VND per student per year for first grade (including English tuition), and nearly 1 million VND per student per year for grades 2 through 5.

“For particularly difficult cases, at the opening of the new school year, the school has tried to mobilize resources to support them. In addition, the school organizes campaigns and used book donation drives to help the students have access to school,” Luy shared.

Concern for poor students

Vu Ngoc Sinh, the Principal of Dak Mai Secondary-High School (Bu Gia Map commune) said: In the 2025-2026 school year, the school has 709 students, 467of whom are ethnic minority students (accounting for 66%), 56 are poor or near-poor students (accounting for 8%), and 150 students (accounting for 21%) are from difficult circumstances. The school is in a remote, border area with especially difficult economic conditions, so the beginning-of-year fees are under much pressure. However, for the 2025-2026 school year, it is pleasing that the Department of Education and Training issued guidance on managing fees, expenditures, and student entitlements. Accordingly, the compulsory service and support fees are only 315,000 VND/student/year for high school students and 270,000 VND/student/year for secondary school students.

Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, students nationwide are no longer required to pay tuition fees. This endeavor is a deeply humane and progressive policy introduced by the Party and the State. It has brought joy to millions of parents across the country. For Bu Gia Map Commune, a remote border area home to ethnic minority communities and facing severe economic hardship, the policy carries even greater significance.

“For the regulated fees, the school has flexibly waited until the coffee, cashew, and pepper harvest seasons to begin collecting, in order to ease the financial burden on parents. The school does not collect other voluntary fees such as accident insurance, uniforms, or essential supplies. As Bu Gia Map is classified as a specially disadvantaged commune, students receive full support for health insurance,” Sinh shared.

In addition, the school advised Bu Gia Map Commune authorities to coordinate with Defense Economic Unit 778, local border guard posts, and Bu Gia Map National Park to mobilize support from benefactors for disadvantaged students. Since the beginning of the school year, organizations and donors have provided over 48 million VND in scholarships for students in need, along with bicycles and school supplies worth more than 93 million VND. The total value of support has exceeded 179 million VND. The school also maintains the “Supporting Children to School” Fund, in which each official, teacher, and staff member contributes 20,000 VND per month. Through this fund, the school supports at least 50 students each academic year, with nearly 20 million VND in total assistance, helping to motivate them to continue their studies.

By An Nhon - Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho