Of particular interest is the fact that around mid-October, the Nghe An Provincial People's Council will conduct a survey on the implementation of fee collection in general education schools, including those piloting advanced models.
Regarding the pilot program for advanced schools, the Nghe An Newspaper published several articles on the occasion of the 2023-2024 school year. Specifically in Vinh City, on September 9, 2023, there was an article titled "Advanced Schools Have… Become Advanced." This article reflected on some shortcomings in the junior high and elementary schools in the city that were piloting the advanced school model, and the concerns of some parents.
Actually, the issue of "advanced schools" hasn't just started attracting public attention this school year. Since the 2022-2023 school year, some parents in Vinh City have expressed concerns about whether or not to send their children to such schools. They also hope their children can receive a comprehensive education, but their limited family finances make it very difficult for them to afford it. Some families have therefore had to reluctantly transfer their children to other schools.
Around mid-June this year, I heard from several friends who are civil servants and employees in government agencies that they expressed similar concerns. They confided that after the three-month summer break, their children would have to transfer schools and would no longer be able to attend the school located in their area. This is because that school is implementing a pilot program of an advanced model for the grade level their children will be in. And the tuition fees alone (not including the cost of meals) would be many times higher than those of a regular school.
A friend, a civil servant at a government department, lamented that after the summer break, both of his children had to attend an advanced class. With the combined income of both him and his wife, relying only on their salaries and a small allowance, they wouldn't be able to cover the expenses. He said, "I'm really stressed. If we don't let them attend the advanced class, the school will 'allow' them to transfer schools as they wish, because the pilot program is being implemented across the entire school level. But if we accept the transfer, the children will have to adapt to a new environment, which could easily lead to feelings of inferiority. Furthermore, attending a different school in a different ward is very inconvenient for commuting. But sending both children to the advanced class would cost me or my wife a significant portion of our salaries. It might be manageable for a few months, but how can we afford it long-term? It's strange, why is this new pilot model being implemented on such a large scale, leaving parents with no choice like this…?"
Listening to these friends confide in me, at the end of June 2023, when attending a meeting to gather public opinion organized by the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, I mentioned and expressed my concerns. Subsequently, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee included this in Notice No. 95/TB-MTT-BTT dated July 3, 2023, on “Activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the province during the first six months of the year in participating in government building; opinions and recommendations of voters and people in the province; proposals and recommendations to the Provincial People's Council and the Provincial People's Committee on necessary issues,” to be submitted to the 14th session of the 18th Provincial People's Council.
Since then, there has been research into the necessity of piloting the advanced school model. It must be acknowledged that the pilot project for the advanced school model has many advantages. Its goal is to find a good educational approach so that future generations receive comprehensive training, possessing sufficient knowledge and the ability to communicate and integrate internationally. Children in the pilot schools, in addition to studying academic subjects, will learn many supplementary subjects such as English, Information Technology, STEM, life skills, as well as arts, music, fine arts, and sports.
However, that's the initial impression when approaching the project. In reality, I understand that achieving the desired results requires many things to meet high standards, not just teaching methods and lesson plans, but also school infrastructure, classrooms, and the quality and quantity of the teaching staff. I visited a pilot school implementing the advanced model in Vinh City and saw that the school's fence was covered with advertising banners for numerous centers offering English, IT, and sports training. These advertising banners all featured the school's logo. It's understandable that, to implement the advanced model, the school would collaborate with these centers to provide students with enhanced subjects such as English, IT, STEM, life skills, and sports.
Seeing this, there was more sadness than joy. It was because they understood that the school itself lacked the independent capacity to implement a comprehensive education program. And they understood that the pilot implementation of the advanced model on a large scale, based on what they had heard from friends, had put parents in a difficult position.
Upon reflection, the reason for planning the school system is essentially to create convenience for students and parents, and to facilitate education. Specifically in Vinh City, each ward has a kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school, all located in suitable positions to provide convenience for students. Considering the economic circumstances of households in each ward of Vinh City, there is certainly no equality; there are significant disparities at various levels. In reality, the monthly income of many families of government officials and employees is still very low compared to their minimum needs. If they are already struggling, then the families of workers and self-employed individuals will undoubtedly face even greater difficulties.
For families facing economic hardship, sending their children to a prestigious school becomes even more difficult. Conversely, transferring a child to a new school risks instilling feelings of inferiority in the child. This contradicts sound educational principles.
Therefore, consideration should be given to limiting the widespread pilot program for advanced schools to avoid imposition and a lack of humanity. And thus, it is hoped that the Provincial People's Council, during its survey of school fee collection practices in general education schools, will pay attention to this issue!
