Do Not Exploit Educational Sponsorship to Coerce Contributions

The Circular stipulates that the mobilization, reception, management, and use of donations must be publicly announced and posted at the educational institution receiving the donations and comply with the current laws. The management and use of donations must follow the principles of thrift, efficiency, correct purpose, and avoiding loss and waste.

Sponsors are encouraged to organize and carry out the investment in construction, procurement of equipment, and complete installation for handover to the educational institution as agreed and guided by the educational institution. Sponsors are encouraged to support the development of education, enhance school facilities, and support teaching and educational activities at educational institutions.

Educational institutions are allowed to mobilize and receive donations to carry out the following activities: Equip teaching and learning tools; equipment for scientific research; renovate, repair, and build educational facilities; support educational, training, and scientific research activities within the educational institution.

Donations are not to be mobilized for the following expenses: teaching remuneration; direct expenses for management staff, teachers, lecturers, and employees, security activities, protection; remuneration for vehicle supervision for students; remuneration for maintaining classroom and school hygiene; rewards for management staff, teachers, employees; management support costs of the educational institution.

Types of Sponsorships

The types of sponsorships specified in the Circular include:

Monetary sponsorship: Donors will transfer an amount in Vietnamese Dong or foreign currency, diamonds, precious stones, precious metals directly to the educational institution or through the educational institution's account opened at the State Treasury or a commercial bank.

Material sponsorship: Donors transfer to the educational institution materials such as books, notebooks, clothing, food, materials, equipment, teaching tools, construction works, and other usable items meeting the practical needs of learners and the educational institution.

For construction sponsorship, the appraisal, approval of technical design and total estimate, issuance of construction permits, quality management, acceptance, handover, warranty, and insurance of construction works are carried out in accordance with the current laws on construction investment.

Non-material sponsorship: Donors transfer or grant usage rights without payment regarding copyrights and ownership rights of intellectual property assets; land use rights; labor contribution; provide training, visiting, survey, workshop services, and free expert consultation to the educational institution.

Utilizing Sponsorships Correctly

Regarding the management and use of sponsorships, the Circular specifies: Educational institutions must create a plan for using the sponsorships, clearly identifying the purpose, beneficiaries; organizational methods, implementation progress; quality of activities, quality of products, projects with detailed cost estimates in line with current standards and norms.

The plan for using the sponsorships must be publicly announced and posted at least 15 working days before implementation to solicit feedback from staff, teachers, employees, students, parents, guardians (if any), and donors.

The implementation of the sponsorship plan must adhere strictly to the established purposes, ensure timely progress, product quality, prescribed standards, and norms, and comply with current regulations on investment, construction, procurement, and bidding procedures. Educational institutions must prepare a final report on completed tasks and publicly post it for supervision and evaluation by learners and society.

Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT comes into effect from September 18, 2018.

Source: Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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