The Minister of Education and Training explained the increase in tuition fees and high textbook prices

Autonomous localities and universities can decide the level of tuition

On the afternoon of June 1, Minister Ministry of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son gave a speech explaining and clarifying a number of contents of interest to the National Assembly deputies related to the field of education and training at the National Assembly’s discussion session on the socio-economic situation.

Regarding the increased tuition fees reflected by delegates and voters, the Minister said that the collection of tuition fees from schools to universities is regulated in Decree 81, effective from October 2021 but Mainly applied for the academic year 2022/2023.

For high school education, the provincial and city governments will decide the tuition fees in the high school system. Decree 81 also stipulates that there are ceiling and floor levels by region and a roadmap.

Decree 81 also states that localities base on their local situation to decide on appropriate tuition rates. In fact, there are a few localities that have completely waived tuition fees like Hai Phong city. Some places also consider the levels prescribed by this decree.

For universities also follow Decree 81, depending on the degree of autonomy. If the school is partially self-sufficient or has partial autonomy in recurrent expenditures and is self-financed in investment expenditures, it may not collect tuition fees exceeding the ceiling specified in this Decree. For schools that meet national and international accreditation standards, they are allowed to collect according to economic – technical norms that are calculated and decided by the school. This is a proprietary rights of the university.

However, based on the impact of the epidemic and the situation affecting the socio-economic situation, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that the Ministry of Education and Training has repeatedly exchanged and sent official letters to the ministries, sectors and localities on the proposal to keep tuition fees stable during the epidemic situation. The Ministry also issued a directive to share difficulties to support students and parents during the epidemic situation.

Most recently, on May 24, 2022, the Ministry of Education and Training sent an official dispatch to localities and university leaders to remind, note and direct units on the implementation of revenues in the field of education. In the education and training sector, note and recommend that schools base on the actual situation to develop appropriate tuition rates and tuition fee increase roadmaps to share difficulties with students’ parents, contribute to price stabilization, social security, and policies on exemption and reduction, extension of time for paying tuition fees and service revenues, and support in education and training activities. Support textbook for pupils and students in difficult circumstances, in remote, mountainous, and island areas so that they have enough books to go to school. Strengthening inspection, examination and supervision to carry out accountability to learners and society about the rates and revenues.

The disclosure of revenue levels is also a content that needs to be explained to the society.

Practice maximum savings to ensure the lowest textbook prices

Regarding the issue of textbook prices, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that the National Assembly has issued Resolution 88/2014/QH13 on reforming the curriculum of general education textbooks and implementing social the compilation of textbooks. According to this resolution, the work of compiling textbooks has been carried out in the direction of socialization. Enterprises shall declare prices with the Ministry of Finance before publishing and issuing.

“With the desire that students can always buy textbooks at the lowest price, from a state management perspective and a professional perspective, the Ministry has directed publishers to strictly implement measures to publish copy books. books that can be reused many times. Newly published books under the 2018 general education program have fully accomplished this,” emphasized Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son and delegates exchanged during the break. Photo: VNA

In the process of book appraisal, the appraisal councils have also asked groups of authors to adjust the parts that are too long, abuse images… The Ministry of Education and Training is also directing the preparation of a circular on regulations. define its own normative criteria for textbooks to regulate this more specifically and more effectively.

The Ministry of Education and Training has also repeatedly issued documents directing educational publishers to practice maximum savings, cut intermediary costs to reduce administrative costs, selling costs as well as other costs. Other costs to ensure the lowest price of textbooks.

The Ministry has directed the publisher to implement synchronously and effectively solutions for providing textbooks to students who are subject to social policy. The department has also directed Education Publishing to provide free PDF copies of the book to students as soon as the books are released.

For Education Publishing House, which is a state-owned enterprise managed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry has directed the publisher to strengthen the application of information technology, diversify distribution channels, reduce publishing costs, promote the restructuring of the publishing house in the direction of streamlining personnel and apparatus to minimize intermediaries.

“One of the fundamental and important solutions that the Ministry has been proposing is that the Ministry of Education and Training has asked the Ministry of Finance to report to the Government and the National Assembly on the addition of textbooks to the list of goods approved by the Government. The country sets prices and has a price subsidy policy,” suggested the head of the education sector.

Implementing university autonomy is a right and necessary policy

Regarding university autonomy, Minister Nguyen Kim Son emphasized that this is a great policy of the Party and State, bringing many opportunities and conditions for the development of universities. , appreciate. Over time, university autonomy has acquired many new faces and developments. The world ranking index has increased rapidly. Vietnam’s education ranks 59th among countries worldwide, including the contribution of the development index in university rankings.

“Many new professions have been opened, good learning and study opportunities for learners have increased. The university’s indicators have all been developed. All of which shows that the policy on implementing university autonomy is a right, very necessary, contributing to the fundamental and comprehensive renovation of education and training in the country and providing high-quality human resources,” the Minister of Education and Training pointed out.

Regarding the implementation situation, including the establishment and operation of school councils, up to this point, in the system of universities under the management of the Ministry of Education and Training, 30/35 schools have established councils. and go into operation.

Currently, out of nearly 200 schools under the management of ministries, branches and localities, there are still 13 higher education institutions that have not yet established school councils. The Ministry of Education is also urging other ministries to continue directing this.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that in the process of implementing university autonomy, there are also some problems related to the activities of the university council such as the head of the responsibility of the head, the coordination of the university. activities between the school board, the council president and the management board, the handling of arising problems…

Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training is also coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs to advise the Government on amending resolutions and decrees on the implementation of university autonomy in order to promptly remove obstacles in terms of organization for the university to operate. autonomy is better.

Regarding accreditation, the Ministry of Education and Training has 7 accrediting centers across the country. And now, there are 174/241 schools that have been tested for the first time, accounting for over 70%. In addition to conducting domestic accreditation, some schools have also started international accreditation.

In order to improve university autonomy in the future, it is expected that the ministry will hold a conference to review the implementation of university autonomy this summer. On the basis of the review, it will propose to the Government and the National Assembly to adjust the higher education law as soon as possible.

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