Vietnam: Do 5-year-old children in island preschools have to pay tuition fees?

Do 5-year-old children in island preschools have to pay tuition fees?

Pursuant to Article 99 of the Education Law 2019 of Vietnam, tuition and expenses of educational and training services are specified as follows:

Tuition and expenses of educational and training services

1. Tuition is a contribution made by learners to partially or fully cover expenses of educational and training services. Tuition rate is determined based on road maps for assurance of expenses for educational and training services prescribed by the Government. For institutions of vocational education and higher education, this rate is calculated based on the Law on Vocational education and Law on Higher education.

2. Expenses of educational and training services include the total amount of salary, direct costs, management costs and depreciation of fixed assets in direct or indirect service of educational operation in accordance with educational programmes.

Admission fees contributed by candidates when submitting an application or taking an entrance examination shall be determined based on road maps of accuracy and adequacy.

3. Students at primary education level in public educational institutions are not required to pay tuition; in areas lacking public schools, primary school students in private educational institutions shall receive subsidies on tuition from the State, with the support rate specified by provincial People’s Councils.

4. Pre-school children at 05 years of age in villages and communes with exceptional difficulties, ethnic minority areas, remote and isolated areas, coastal areas and islands shall be exempted from tuition.

5. Pre-school children at 05 years of age beside those regulated in clause 4 of this Article and students at lower secondary education level shall be exempted from tuition based on road maps specified by the Government.

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Five-year-old preschool children in particularly difficult hamlets and communes, ethnic minority areas, remote areas, border areas along the sea, and islands are exempted from tuition fees.

Therefore, five-year-old preschool children on islands shall be fully exempted from tuition fees.

Do 5-year-old preschool children on islands have to pay tuition fees or not? (Image from the Internet)

Study support do ethnic minority preschool children living on islands

Pursuant to Point a Clause 1 Article 4 of Decree 57/2017/ND-CP of Vietnam's Government on policies for study support:

Study support policy

1. Support level:

a) Ethnic minority preschool children with very few people studying at preschool education establishments shall receive study support equivalent to 30% of the statutory pay rate per child per month.

b) Ethnic minority students with very few people studying at primary schools, lower secondary schools, and upper secondary schools shall receive study support equivalent to 40% of the statutory pay rate per student per month.

c) Ethnic minority students with very few people studying at semi-boarding ethnic schools or being semi-boarding students at public schools with semi-boarding students shall receive study support equivalent to 60% of the statutory pay rate per student per month.

d) Ethnic minority students with very few people studying at full-boarding ethnic schools shall receive study support equivalent to 100% of the statutory pay rate per student per month.

dd) Ethnic minority students with very few people studying at pre-university departments, higher education establishments, and vocational education establishments shall receive study support equivalent to 100% of the statutory pay rate per person per month.

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Ethnic minority preschool children with very few people studying at preschool education establishments shall receive study support equivalent to 30% of the statutory pay rate per child per month.

According to Decree 73/2024/ND-CP, from July 1, 2024, the statutory pay rate is 2,340,000 VND per month.

Therefore, ethnic minority preschool children, whether living on islands or not, shall receive study support equivalent to 30% of the statutory pay rate per child per month, i.e., 702,000 VND.

When will 5-year-old preschool children not in difficult circumstances on islands be exempted from tuition fees?

Pursuant to Clauses 5 and 6, Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP of Vietnam's Government on subjects exempted from tuition fees for the school year 2023 - 2024:

Eligibility for tuition exemption

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4. Preschool students, students of formal education, learners in continuous education facilities pursuing formal education program whose parent or parents or grandparents (if living with grandparents) are poor households according to regulations of Prime Minister.

5. Preschool children with 5 years of age living in hamlets with difficulties, communes in category III areas with ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, communes with particularly difficulties in coastal areas and islands according regulations of competent authority.

6. Preschool children with 5 years of age not specified under Clause 5 of this Article shall be exempted from tuition for the school year of 2024 - 2025 (starting from September 1, 2024).

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Five-year-old preschool children not falling within the provisions of Clause 5 of Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP shall be exempted from tuition fees starting from the school year 2024 - 2025 (effective from September 1, 2024).

Thus, from the school year 2024 - 2025 (effective from September 1, 2024), 5-year-old preschool children not in difficult circumstances according to Article 15 of Decree 81/2021/ND-CP shall be exempted from tuition fees.