Are 5-year-old preschool children in Vietnam exempt from tuition fees in the academic year 2024-2025?

What is the back-to-school season in Vietnam?

Back-to-school is simply understood as the day when all students nationwide return to school after the summer break.

In previous academic years, September 5 has been the annual back-to-school day, which falls in autumn. This time is also called the back-to-school season.

Simultaneously, according to the law, based on Decision 2045/QD-BGDDT in 2024 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the timeline framework for the 2024-2025 academic year for preschool, general education, and continuing education:

- The opening ceremony will be held on September 5, 2024.

Schools can start the academic year up to one week before the opening ceremony date. For first-grade students, the start date can be up to two weeks before the opening ceremony date.

Thus, the back-to-school season is autumn.

Are 5-year-old preschool children in Vietnam exempt from tuition fees in the academic year 2024-2025?​ (Image from the Internet)

How should preschool children in Vietnam prepare uniforms for the back-to-school season?

According to Article 3 of Circular 26/2009/TT-BGDDT, the principles of wearing uniforms are specified as follows:

Principles of uniforms and ceremonial attire

1. Principles of wearing uniforms

a) Ensure aesthetics, suitability for the gender and age of students, the cultural identity of the nation, characteristics of each locality, while ensuring stability, reflecting the tradition of the school.

b) Suitable for weather conditions, convenient for studying, daily activities at school, and participation in other activities.

c) Ensure thrift, suitable to the economic and social conditions of each locality and each school.

2. Principles of wearing ceremonial attire

a) Ensure uniformity within each school or training sector.

b) Ensure aesthetics and educational value during graduation ceremonies.

c) Ensure differentiation of graduates at different training levels: intermediate, university.

d) Ensure scientific principles, reflecting the traditional cultural beauty of the Vietnamese nation.

3. In cases where financial support is provided by organizations or individuals within or outside the country, uniforms and ceremonial attire must comply with this regulation, and sponsorship must not be abused for advertising.

4. Ethnic minority students are encouraged to use their traditional ethnic attire during festivals, Tet holidays, and on days when the school does not require uniforms.

According to the above regulations, students in 63 provinces and cities, after returning to school, need to adhere to the principles of wearing uniforms to ensure proper decorum:

(1) Ensure aesthetics, suitability for the gender and age of students, the cultural identity of the nation, characteristics of each locality, while ensuring stability, reflecting the tradition of the school.

(2) Suitable for weather conditions, convenient for studying, daily activities at school, and participation in other activities.

(3) Ensure thrift, suitable to the economic and social conditions of each locality and each school.

Thus, it can be seen that parents of preschool children can contact the school to get information about common uniforms if any.

*Note: In cases where financial support is provided by organizations or individuals within or outside the country, uniforms and ceremonial attire must comply with Circular 26/2009/TT-BGDDT, and sponsorship must not be abused for advertising.

Are 5-year-old preschool children in Vietnam exempt from tuition fees in the academic year 2024-2025?

According to Official Dispatch 2179/BGDDT-KHTC in 2024, the tuition fees for the 2024-2025 academic year will be implemented according to Decree 97/2023/ND-CP.

The implementation of tuition fee exemptions, reductions, support for studying expenses, and financial support for tuition in conformity with Chapter 4 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP. It stipulates that from the 2024-2025 academic year, preschool children aged 5 as specified in clause 6 Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP are exempt from tuition fees (applicable from September 1, 2024).

Referencing clause 6 Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP, the categories eligible for tuition fee exemptions include:

(1) Those specified under the Ordinance on Incentives for Beneficiaries of the Revolution if they are studying at educational institutions within the national education system.

(2) Preschool children and students with disabilities.

(3) Preschool children and students under 16 years old without a source of upbringing, and those aged 16 to 22 who are attending secondary or tertiary education as first-degree students and are eligible for monthly social benefits according to clauses 1 and 2 Article 5 of Decree 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021, of the Government of Vietnam regarding social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries.

(4) Preschool children and general education students, learners at continuing education institutions following a general education program who have one or both parents, or grandparents (in cases of living with grandparents) from poor households as specified by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

(5) 5-year-old preschool children in particularly difficult hamlets/villages, communes in zone III of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, particularly difficult communes in coastal sandy areas, islands as specified by competent authorities.

(6) 5-year-old preschool children not falling under clause 5 of this Article are exempt from tuition fees starting from the 2024-2025 academic year (applicable from September 1, 2024).

(7) Preschool children and general education students, learners at continuing education institutions following a general education program who are biological or legally adopted children of non-commissioned officers, soldiers on active duty as specified in clause 2 Article 6 of Decree 27/2016/ND-CP dated April 6, 2016, of the Government of Vietnam regarding certain policies for non-commissioned officers, soldiers serving on duty, and their families.

(8) Lower secondary school students in particularly difficult hamlets/villages, communes in zone III of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, particularly difficult communes in coastal sandy areas, islands as specified by competent authorities are exempt from tuition fees starting from the 2022-2023 academic year (applicable from September 1, 2022).

(9) Lower secondary school students not falling under clause 8 of this Article are exempt from tuition fees starting from the 2025-2026 academic year (applicable from September 1, 2025).

(10) Students under the program for specially selected intensive training (including intern students in boarding vocational training with a training duration of 3 months or more) as specified by the Government of Vietnam regarding policies for special admissions into universities and vocational education institutions within the national education system.

(11) Students in national boarding ethnic schools, preparatory universities, and pre-university departments.

(12) Students studying at vocational education and higher education institutions who are ethnic minorities with one or both parents, or grandparents (in cases of living with grandparents) from poor and near-poor households as specified by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

(13) Students specializing in Marxist-Leninist Philosophy and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

(14) Students, master’s students, PhD candidates in one of the majors: Leprosy, mental health, forensic psychiatry, forensic science, pathology at public medical training institutions according to state-commissioned training quotas.

(15) Students who are ethnic minorities with extremely small populations as specified in clause 1 Article 2 of Decree 57/2017/ND-CP dated May 9, 2017, of the Government of Vietnam regarding policies for admission priority and studying support for preschool, general education, and tertiary students from extremely small ethnic minorities in areas with difficult or particularly difficult socioeconomic conditions.

(16) Learners under programs or projects who are exempt from tuition fees as specified by the Government of Vietnam.

(17) Graduates of secondary education continuing on to intermediate education.

(18) Learners at intermediate and college levels, in majors and professions that are hard to recruit, but society needs as per the list specified by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

(19) Learners in specialized professions meeting the requirements for socioeconomic development, national defense, and security as specified by the Law on Vocational Education. Specialized professions are determined by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam.

Thus, preschool children aged 5 in the 2024-2025 academic year will be exempt from tuition fees (starting from September 1, 2024).

Note: The tuition fee exemption policy applies to 5-year-old preschool children in public schools.