It is expected that 35 communes of Nghe An will have their tuition fees reduced from the 2019-2020 school year.

On the afternoon of September 19, the Committee for Culture and Society, the Provincial People's Council held a meeting to review the draft resolution amending and supplementing a number of contents of Resolution No. 53/2016/NQ-HDND on tuition fees in public educational and training institutions in the province. Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Head of the Committee for Culture and Society of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Resolution No. 53/2016/NQ-HDND regulating tuition fees in public educational institutions under the management of Nghe An province, was issued by the Provincial People's Council on December 16, 2016. After more than 2.5 years of implementation with 5 semesters, the Resolution has come into life, and has been basically approved by the people.

However, in practice, there are still problems in dividing tuition fees among regions, especially in mountainous communes in the plain districts of the province (according to the Government's regulations on classifying communes into region III, region II, region I in ethnic minority and mountainous areas).

Therefore, to ensure that tuition fees are consistent with regional regulations and ensure fairness among localities with similar socio-economic development conditions, the Department of Education and Training has advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council to amend and supplement Section III, Clause 1, Article 2 of Resolution No. 53/2016/NQ-HDND on target groups.

Director of the Department of Education and Training Thai Van Thanh receives the review comments of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee. Photo: Mai Hoa

Accordingly, based on the regulations on tuition fees in 4 regions, the Provincial People's Committee proposed the Provincial People's Council to adjust, supplement, and transfer 35 mountainous communes in the plain districts that are subject to tuition fees from region 3 to region 4, along with communes and towns in high mountainous districts; communes in low mountainous districts; and areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions according to regulations of competent authorities.

Currently, the tuition fees in region 3 are as follows: Preschool: 100,000 VND/month/student; Secondary school: 60,000 VND/month/student. High school and supplementary high school: 90,000 VND/month/student.

Region 4: Preschool level 45,000 VND/month/student. Secondary level: 35,000 VND/month/student; High school and supplementary high school: 45,000 VND/month/student

Based on the comments of the members of the Culture - Society Committee and representatives of a number of sectors, concluding the review of this content, Head of the Culture - Society Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Huong agreed with the proposed amendments and supplements submitted by the Provincial People's Committee; at the same time, requested the Department of Education and Training - the drafting agency to clarify the legal basis for the adjusted content.

Schools in mountainous communes of the delta district will have their tuition fees adjusted from the 2019-2020 school year. Photo: Mai Hoa

In addition, for schools in communes transferred from region 3 to region 4, the total tuition fee will be reduced. Therefore, the Department of Education and Training needs to coordinate with the Department of Finance to provide guidance to compensate for the shortfall in revenue, meet the operating resources for schools, and avoid taking advantage of the reduction in tuition fees to set up other fees.

The drafting agency also needs to add an appendix with the collection levels for communes, wards and towns equivalent to each region to ensure consistency.

Also on the afternoon of September 19, the Culture and Society Committee listened to and gave opinions on the plan and outline for monitoring the construction of national standard schools in the province; thereby, clearly understanding the current situation and quality of standard school construction and recommending and proposing solutions to improve the sustainability of standard school construction in the coming time. The monitoring period is expected from October 22 to November 6.