The Government proposes to amend the financial mechanism governing public education to break a vicious circle, Deputy Prime Minister and Education and Training Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said in the National Assembly on June 9.

He was referring to a scenario in which during times of low economic growth there is not enough investment in education, which leads to low education quality and in turn to a failure to boost the economy.

To achieve a breakthrough, he said, the Government’s plan seeks to improve four aspects: the efficiency of investment in education and training, the number of people who have access to education, particularly among the poor, the quality of education, and sustainability of the growth of education.

Regarding tuition fees, the government should firstly determine those at high schools and preschools, Mr Nhan said.

Average spending on education has consistently increased for the past several years, with a family spending 6.1 percent of its income on education in 2002, 6.4 percent in 2006, and 6.6 percent last year, he said quoting the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

Asked about the possibility of waiving fees for junior high school students, the Minister said it could happen in the future when the Government is financially stronger.

Commenting on the proposed changes to the mechanism, deputy Dang Nhu Loi of Ca Mau Province said the government should spell out more details for the NA to consider it.

Control over collection, use of tuition

Many deputies voiced concern about the collection and use of school tuition fees, over which they said the government should assume more control.

Huynh Nghia of Da Nang said the new mechanism should be clearer about this aspect, while Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen of Phu Tho Province said: “Recent audits show that the collection of fees has not been overseen closely. Many universities collected higher fees than regulated by the Government. They even collected other fees not authorized by the Government.”

“Of the 22 universities audited, 16 overcharged students for tuition and the excess they collected amounted to VND28 billion (US$1.65 million). Most of these schools paid only a part of the amount to the treasury,” she said.

She called on the Government should stop this.

Ngo Thi Doan Thanh of Hanoi said vocational training tuition should be based on the kind of training and quality.

“Tuitions for vocational training are nearly equal to that of universities and this will not help improve enrollment at vocational training schools,” Phan Thi My Binh of Tuyen Quang Province warned.

Mr Nhan said if the amendments to the financial mechanism are passed by the House, the Government would revise fees, especially for vocational training.

Ham Yen – Anh Phuong (MONRE)