Nghe An: Voluntary collections must ensure three principles: agreement, transparency and no leveling.

Nghe An Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Chu Duc Thai - Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council and Mr. Dao Cong Loi - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An about related issues.

Reporter: Revenue and expenditure are always a hot issue at the beginning of the school year. What solutions have the Provincial People's Council and the Department of Education and Training taken to rectify this situation?

Mr. Chu Duc Thai:The implementation of collections in educational and training institutions has been regulated according to guiding documents from the Central to the province. In the past time, the Provincial People's Committee as well as the Education sector have been very resolute in directing educational institutions to collect the beginning of the year fees in accordance with regulations. However, through reflection and direct surveys, we found that there are units that have not really implemented the regulations, still setting some collections that are not in accordance with the regulations, causing frustration for parents. Therefore, the collection of fees at the beginning of the school year is not new but every year is "hot".

The first parent conference of the school year was widely held at Dung Hop Primary School (Tan Ky). Photo: CSCC

Grasping voters' opinions and public opinion on the issue of revenue and expenditure in schools, in recent times, the Provincial People's Council has always paid attention to the implementation of revenue and expenditure at the beginning of the school year at educational institutions. The Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council has requested the Provincial People's Council delegates to regularly grasp the revenue and expenditure situation at educational institutions in the area; promptly synthesize voters' opinions on related issues to send to competent authorities for settlement; conduct direct questioning at the Provincial People's Council session or through monitoring the response and settlement of voters' opinions. The Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Committee has also conducted surveys and monitored the collection and expenditure of tuition fees and other revenues in schools. In addition, at the meetings of the Provincial People's Council Standing Committee or the Provincial People's Committee meetings, the prominent and urgent issues of the people such as the issue of collecting fees at the beginning of the school year are always discussed by the Provincial People's Council Standing Committee, directing the Provincial People's Council Committees to survey, collect information and make recommendations to the Provincial People's Committee to direct this content.

An extracurricular class of students at Le Mao Primary School, Vinh City. Photo: My Ha

The implementation of the first year collection has a great impact on the people and almost every family in the area has children going to school. If parents are afraid to report to the authorities or the education management agency, the Provincial People's Council has a provincial electronic information page, a column to receive voters' opinions, we hope to receive the opinions of voters, if there are any concerns. We will collect opinions and send them to relevant agencies for response according to regulations. In addition, people can report to the elected bodies, which are People's Council delegates at all levels, from the commune level, so that the delegates can receive opinions publicly and handle them according to the provisions of law.

Mr. Dao Cong Loi:Entering the new school year, parents have many worries such as textbooks, uniforms, and purchasing school supplies. Therefore, the guiding viewpoint of the Department of Education and Training is to discuss solutions to take care of quality at the beginning of the year and then discuss revenue and expenditure issues at the end of the year to avoid pressure on students. However, currently, the whole province has more than 1,600 educational institutions, but there are still cases of revenue and expenditure that are not in accordance with the regulations according to the Department's guidance documents, leading to many incorrect revenues, especially in voluntary revenues.

In recent times, in guidance documents,Department of Education and TrainingIt also requires that the implementation of voluntary collections must ensure three principles: agreement, transparency and non-equalization. The problem is that in the process of implementation, some schools do not properly implement the Department's instructions, abuse, and do not properly implement principles such as equalization and setting a specific collection level. Obviously, voluntary collection cannot be based on a specific collection level.

To rectify this problem, the state agency will strengthen inspection and examination work and will coordinate with the district People's Committee (the unit managing schools from kindergarten to secondary school) to strengthen the correction. If there are signs of wrongdoing, appropriate sanctions will be applied to create deterrence and discipline in the whole industry.

PV: So, according to Mr. Chu Duc Thai, in addition to the solutions that the Education sector has proposed, should we strengthen the inspection, examination and supervision of People's Councils at all levels?

Mr. Chu Duc Thai:Inspecting the collection of early year fees is a fundamental solution and must be implemented more drastically and regularly. After the inspection, it is necessary to point out any violations, if any, of educational institutions, especially those reported by parents and people. When there is a conclusion, it is necessary to seriously and strictly handle the violations of the institutions and leaders who collect incorrect fees to have a deterrent effect.

In addition to inspection and examination work, it is necessary to combine many measures to ensure that revenue and expenditure in schools are implemented in accordance with regulations. First of all, it is necessary to attach responsibility to the heads of educational institutions and authorities at all levels in directing and organizing the implementation of revenue and expenditure regulations in schools. Educational institutions must publicize the amounts collected according to regulations from the beginning of the year for parents to monitor. Voluntary contributions from parents must ensure compliance with principles, in which the issue of socialized revenue collection in schools is reflected the most. The socialization for what work, how to do it, must be discussed democratically, publicly and approved by competent authorities to be eligible to call for socialization. After socialization, assets must be counted and managed in accordance with annual regulations to become the common property of the school; avoid the situation of buying air conditioners, televisions, and curtains every year as many parents reflect. If we make it clear, people will strongly support us, along with the state budget, to use the construction and equipment to ensure better teaching and learning.

Through monitoring and field surveys at educational institutions, we found that educational administrators and teachers are under great pressure to ensure material conditions for teaching and learning due to limited budget conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully and fully review the material conditions at educational institutions to have a plan to prioritize budget allocation in the education sector, focusing on increasing investment in facilities for schools, ensuring educational activities so that teachers can come to school wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly to the task of teaching and learning.

PV: Thank you for participating in the interview!