The 'rich kids' class in school

From parents' need to let their children study in a "different" environment and the school's acceptance, "rich kids" classes exist right in public schools.

The appearance of “VIP” classes in public schools is not a new phenomenon, it has been around for many years. Although public opinion and education experts have many objections to the existence of “VIP” classes, in reality, more and more such classes are appearing in schools at different levels.

In Ho Chi Minh City, for many years now there has been much buzz about “high-class” classes at some key schools. There are classes that are like real “oasis” with designs, facilities, equipment… different from the rest of the school thanks to the contributions of parents. The investment level for some classes can be up to hundreds of millions of dong.

The proposal to pay for wooden flooring in classrooms by the Parents' Association in Ho Chi Minh City has received backlash.

Not to mention, in some "VIP" classes, parents also have their own policies such as hiring additional janitors and nannies to serve the children, and teachers in charge of the class also have special "priorities"...

At the beginning of this school year, many parents of class 1/7 of Le Van Sy Primary School (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) were upset when they had to pay over hundreds of millions of VND to "magically" transform their children's classrooms at the request of the Parents' Representative Board. Initially, the Representative Board proposed installing air conditioners, painting the walls... During the implementation process, the project continued to be "upgraded" by re-tiling the floor, buying TVs, shelves, replacing separate electricity meters, and especially instead of repairing the tables and chairs as originally planned, they replaced them all.

Thus, it can be seen that with the "willingness to spend" of parents, "VIP" classes are naturally implemented in schools. Many parents are upset not only because they have to pay a large amount of money but also because they are concerned that building a different class in the general conditions of the school will cause educational inequality between classes and between students.

In many schools, there is a growing movement of parents "modernizing" classrooms with televisions, projectors, air conditioners, wooden floors, curtains like in multi-star hotels... More beautiful, more luxurious, more high-class but becoming ridiculous and offensive not only in terms of technology in the overall conditions of the school but also in terms of educational spirit.

Children studying in public schools, which are funded by the state budget, especially at the primary level, are universal, so it is obvious that students accept the same conditions. Many parents do not understand or pretend not to understand, they have money so they want to "fill in the gaps" for their children, wanting their children to have different conditions.

However, many school leaders "complement" inequality in the educational environment with the argument that parents volunteer, parents propose...

The "VIP" class in the school not only creates a gap between this class and that class, but often the ones who suffer the most are the ones in the "game". Falling into the class of rich kids, following the cycle of "my child is different from everyone else", many parents are tired because not everyone has the conditions to "volunteer" or because of different educational views. But if they refuse to participate, whether they want it or not, their children will be accused of "freeloading" because of the contributions of other parents.

English class at Le Ngoc Han Primary School, District 1, HCMC (Illustration photo)

In many schools, uniforms are “fully utilized”, not only in clothing but also in school bags, shoes, even book covers and pencil cases. Many families are extremely miserable because of the transformed uniforms, but schools always stick to the spirit of uniforms to avoid discrimination between rich and poor, to create equality in the school environment... However, on the one hand, many school boards “pave the way” for inequality, discrimination between rich and poor by creating “rich kids” classes in public schools.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngai, former Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, shared that the existence of "VIP" classes in public schools is not advisable, it is offensive and anti-educational. Outside of school, children have different living conditions, but once they enter school, they need to accept basic common conditions. Otherwise, it will be difficult to avoid the rumor of "turning public into private" as well as negatively affecting the education of equality and fairness for young children.

Another teacher also expressed that many parents think that because they have money, their children need other conditions. This desire is a normal need, but it can unintentionally create in children the mentality that "if I have money, I have the right" in an equal and fair educational environment. And the responsibility of "saying no" to classes of rich children in schools belongs to the principal./.

According to VOV