According to Clause 3, Article 99 of the 2019 Education Law, "primary school students in public educational institutions are not required to pay tuition fees". From September 1, 2024, 5-year-old preschool children are exempt from tuition fees, according to Clause 6, Article 15 of Decree No. 81/2021/ND-CP dated August 27, 2021 of the Government.

ILLUSTRATION: NHAT THINH

Since the end of May 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training has requested localities to implement policies on tuition exemption and reduction, support for learning costs and support for tuition payment in accordance with the provisions of Decree 81. The Ministry of Education and Training requests ministries, central agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to direct relevant agencies, units and educational institutions to strictly implement regulations on revenues in the field of education and training in the 2024-2025 school year.

Specifically, for tuition fees for the 2024-2025 school year, tuition fees will be collected in accordance with the provisions of Decree 97 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree 81 regulating the mechanism for collecting and managing tuition fees for educational institutions in the national education system and policies on tuition exemption, reduction, and support for learning costs.

Revenues from services to support educational activities of public preschools and general education institutions other than tuition fees are implemented according to resolutions issued by provincial-level People's Councils in accordance with local conditions as prescribed. On September 18, 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training sent an official dispatch to provincial-level People's Committees on tuition support for students severely affected by storms and floods in many provinces and cities, requesting localities, based on the level of damage to people after storms and floods, to consider exempting or reducing tuition fees for students.

Up to now, there are 8 provinces and cities that exempt 100% of tuition fees for students from kindergarten to grade 12 in public educational institutions for the 2024-2025 school year: Da Nang, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai.

Among the above localities, there are localities that exempted 100% of tuition fees for students from kindergarten to grade 12 in the previous school year, such as Hai Phong and Da Nang.

ILLUSTRATION: NGOC DUONG

Free tuition to reduce burden on parents in flood-affected areas

The policy of exempting 100% of tuition fees for students from kindergarten to grade 12 in the 2024-2025 school year in public educational institutions in Yen Bai aims to reduce the burden on parents of students in the area due to the severe impact of storm No. 3 - storm Yagi.

In Lao Cai, tuition fees are temporarily not collected from September to the end of November, school year 2024 - 2025 while waiting for the Provincial People's Council to consider and issue a decision not to collect tuition fees for a certain period of time for preschool children and public primary school students, students at continuing education institutions following the general education program in areas affected by the storm according to the provisions of Article 17 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP of the Government. This is also a humane policy of this locality to reduce difficulties for students and parents due to the impact of storm Yagi.