Mr. Dat's secondary school, located in the suburbs of Hanoi, held a parent-teacher meeting in mid-September. The principal called this time a "red zone" and "sensitive" because the whole school did not know if there would be any complaints or petitions about the fees collected at the beginning of the year.

Therefore, the school has not dared to call for social mobilization from parents to repair the ceilings of the third floor classrooms. The principal said that the corrugated iron roofs are rotten, so when it rains, water seeps through the peeling ceiling panels.

During the parent-teacher conference, the school only collects essential fees such as tuition, health insurance, electronic contact books, drinking water, and textbooks, totaling about 1.4 million VND per person. Parents who buy new uniforms for their children will pay more. As for the class fund and the school's parent fund, although there is no collection rate, the school limits it to no more than 300,000 VND.

"We are under a lot of pressure at the beginning of each school year because this is an extremely sensitive time for collections and calls for contributions," said Mr. Dat.

Similarly, Ms. Huong, principal of an elementary school in Hanoi's inner city, is also "not in a hurry" to buy air conditioners for two first-grade classes. The teacher explained that this year the number of first-grade students has increased, so the school has to renovate and utilize an old classroom and a warehouse for use. However, the facilities for these two classes are not yet adequate.

"I don't forbid classes from wanting to repair or add more. My point of view is that if it's appropriate, then do it. However, I also want to avoid suggesting or mentioning this at the beginning of the school year," said Ms. Huong.

In recent weeks, a series of schools have been criticized for their fees. This is also a persistent problem at the beginning of each school year, so Many schools are under pressure, becoming timid and cautious in calling on parents to contribute and socialize.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Chuong, former principal of Loc Phat High School, Lam Dong, sympathizes with the psychology of the schools. He said that in the position of principal, everyone has campaigned and called for socialization to renovate and renew the facilities.

"In the context of some schools charging illegal fees and technological developments causing incidents to spread quickly, mobilization is even more difficult," Mr. Chuong acknowledged.

In fact, the reason why schools have to call for socialization is that the budget is not enough to provide the best facilities, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Xuan Nhi, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training. According to Mr. Nhi, the budget for building schools often only ensures minimum amenities, for example, two light bulbs and a ceiling fan in a classroom. If schools want air conditioning or curtains, they have to be proactive.

Ms. Hoa, principal of a primary school with 1,200 students in inner-city Hanoi, said that each year, the school receives more than one billion VND in budget, not including teachers' salaries. This amount is calculated based on the number of students, schools with fewer students will receive less. In addition, the school has additional income from facilities and second-session tuition, but it is "insignificant". With nine months of school, the average monthly budget is about 180 million VND.

"That amount of money is just enough to pay for electricity, janitors, and security," said Ms. Hoa.

Currently, Ms. Hoa's school has nearly 40 classrooms, all of which are air-conditioned. The principal said that the air-conditioning is on from 7am to 5pm, and the monthly electricity bill is also hundreds of millions of dong. For cleaning staff and security guards, the state budget only allows for one person, but with 1,200 students, she has to hire four more janitors and two security guards. Their total monthly salary is also more than 50 million dong.

The principal said she was asked why the electricity bill was so high, whether it was necessary to install air conditioning and turn it on all day, and whether it was necessary to hire more staff.

"Do parents want their children to study without air conditioning or curtains in the 40-degree heat of the capital?" and "Do parents want their children to use an unsafe restroom, or a school with only one security guard?", Ms. Hoa expressed. In addition, the school cannot let students come and sit for 7 periods and then go home, they have to let them play and have fun. Organizing activities costs money.

"If we don't call for socialization, there won't be enough money," said Ms. Hoa.

In fact, the call for funding for schools has been clearly regulated by the Ministry of Education and Training in Circular 16 of 2018. Mr. Chuong acknowledged that in order to effectively call for socialization, principals need to determine "doing the right thing, not pocketing money, then there is nothing to be afraid of". Next, the call must be practical, with a plan for 3-5 years. He opposed the school calling for donations to buy air conditioners and curtains this year, and continuing next year. In addition, the school absolutely does not equalize the level of contributions from parents.

On that basis, the board of directors drafts the plan, through the Party Committee and teachers. Mr. Chuong believes that "warm inside, peaceful outside", so disseminating the plan to help teachers understand and support is also important. To ensure accurate wording, no misunderstanding or "copying", Mr. Chuong advises principals to prepare the content to be called for, have a detailed list, print it out or take advantage of social networks to share information. When receiving contributions, the bidding and construction organization should also invite parents' representatives to participate in supervision.

"The principal can also mobilize social resources from sources outside the school, not necessarily always from parents," said Mr. Chuong.

This is also what Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, reminded schools in the area. Mr. Minh said that schools should expand their appeal to businesses, social organizations, and philanthropists. Parents have to contribute a lot for their children at the beginning of the school year, so the school's fundraising efforts can create an additional burden for them.

Mr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Chairman of the Education Council and co-founder of Dinh Tien Hoang High School, a private school in Hanoi, proposed that localities share responsibility for calling for, managing and using support sources from parents and businesses. The purpose of this is to increase cross-monitoring and reduce pressure on schools in activities outside of their training major.

For her part, Ms. Huong said that this year, it seems that autumn has come early in Hanoi, so the purchase of air conditioners for the two new classrooms "can be delayed a bit". The day before, when a teacher suggested calling for contributions from parents, she immediately waved her hand.

"At least wait until the beginning of the school year. I will also ask for more sponsorship from philanthropists and organizations. Only in urgent cases will I call on parents," she said.

Thanh Hang

* Principals' names have been changed.