The notices by schools on the tuitions and fees students have to pay at the beginning of the new academic year have dazed poor parents. A lot of students still cannot go back to school because they still do not have money to pay.

Many poor children are deprived from education

Higher school fees burden parents

Vo Thi Lanh, a worker of the Cai Doi Vam Seafood Export Company, complained that she has to borrow money from relatives to pay school fees for the two children. Lanh can earn 800,000 dong a month these days, because the shrimp material shortage has forced the company to cut down production. Meanwhile, Lanh’s husband is a construction worker, who does not have stable income.

Lanh said that she has to pay VND914,000 (USD44.3) for the son, Nguyen Quoc Pham, a 6th grader of the Le Hong Phong Secondary School, and VND510,000 (USD24.7) for the daughter, Nguyen Ngoc Lien, a third grader of the Cai Doi Vam 1 Primary School.

“The sums of money are double that of the previous year,” she complained. “Besides, I also have spent money to buy textbooks, clothes and schoolbags for them. This will be very costly.”

Le Thi Phuong, 43, in Cai Doi Vam town, said that she has to pay 730,000 dong for her daughter, who goes to the first grade this year, because her family has been recognized as a poor family. Meanwhile, other students in the same class have to pay VND830,000 (USD40.2).

Though the official opening day of the new academic year is September 5, but schools have gathered their students since August 15 already. The Deputy Headmaster of the Cai Doi Vam Primary School No 1 has said that the school has gathered 900 students, fulfilling 90 percent of the plan by August 17.

Meanwhile, a lot of students still cannot go to classes just because their parents have not paid money yet. Nguyen Thi Phuong, 24, said that Pham Hong An, Headmaster of the Cai Doi Vam Primary School No 2 refused to allow Phuong’s daughter to enter the class because Phuong has not paid the requested money.

An, in the conversation on the phone with Tien phong reporters, confirmed this and said that she did not come contrary to the instruction by the Chair of the town people’s committee.

Kim Van Hong in Cai Doi Vam town has also complained that his three children cannot go to school, including a fifth grader and two second graders.

When Tien phong reporters met Nguyen Nhat Lam, 12, and Nguyen Nhat Long, 6, the two children said that they were busy catching fish. “My parents said we will go to school when they have enough money,” Lam said.

The students of the Tran Quoc Toan Primary School in Dac Nong province also complain that they still cannot enter the classes because they have not paid money.

“Teacher Tram told us that only those who have paid money can go to school,” said Tran Thi My Thien, a 5th grader. To date, only six out of the 32 students of the class can go to school.

Nga, the mother of Thien said that in previous years, the school allowed students to pay money later, when parents can collect money from coffee sales. However, things prove to be quite different this year. Nga still does not know how she can arrange 900,000 dong to pay to the school, because it is now not the harvesting season.

Meanwhile, Le Dinh Han, headmaster of the Tran Quoc Toan School, has confirmed that he has to use “drastic measures” to urge parents to pay money. Ten percent of the 250 students of the school still have not paid money, and it is reasonable if the students, who have not paid money, have to come to school later.