Ensure reasonable tuition increases and tuition exemptions

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of July 8, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province held a conference to review the draft Resolution regulating tuition fees and tuition exemption and reduction policies, and support for learning costs in public educational institutions in the province from the 2016-2017 school year to the 2020-2021 school year.

The conference was attended by many scientists, managers and related units.

At the Conference, the representative of the Department of Education and Training reported on the issuance of Regulations on tuition fees and tuition exemption and reduction policies, and support for study costs in public educational institutions in the province from the 2016-2017 school year to the 2020-2021 school year. Accordingly, the subjects of application include: Preschool children, pupils, students, graduate students, and postgraduates studying at public educational institutions under the management of Nghe An province; Educational institutions in the national education system according to the provisions of the Law on Education, the Law on Higher Education, and the Law on Vocational Education under the management of Nghe An province.

Comrade Nguyen Van Huy - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province opened the conference.

The new tuition fees for public preschool and general education programs are expected to increase by 33-78% for Vinh City; by 41-93% for rural areas and by 50-83% for mountainous areas compared to the tuition fee framework prescribed in Decree No. 86/2015 of the Government. As for public university and vocational education, the expected tuition fees are lower than the prescribed framework.

According to the report: The increase in tuition fees does not affect policy students, students from poor households, students with disabilities from poor and near-poor households, students from ethnic minorities with very few people in areas with socio-economic conditions, especially difficult... because these subjects are exempted from tuition fees; For students from mountainous areas, near-poor households, the impact is less because the tuition fee increase is insignificant and at the same time, the tuition fee is reduced by 50% according to regulations; For subjects belonging to the City, the People's Committee of Vinh City proposed that there should be a specific mechanism for tuition fees.

Teacher Le Tien Hung, former Director of the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An, commented: The increase in tuition fees needs to ensure reasonableness between regions.

At the Conference, there were 13 opposing opinions, all of which stated that the new tuition fee regulations must be consistent with the province's socio-economic conditions, consistent with the general income level of the people, and the tuition fee must be within the Government's prescribed range. For communes in Vinh City, it is necessary to include the applicable tuition fee for Cua Lo Town, wards in Hoang Mai Town, and towns in the delta districts. In addition, opinions also suggested that the submission should round up the tuition fee to create favorable conditions for both payers and collectors.

After listening to the comments, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Fatherland Front requested the Department of Education and Training to fully absorb them to study, revise, and supplement the draft to submit to the Provincial People's Council as soon as possible.

Thanh Son