Regulations on Sponsorship for Educational Institutions within the National Education System

Ensuring the Principle of Voluntariness, No Coercion

The sponsorship must ensure the principles of voluntariness, transparency, no coercion, no average sponsorship criteria, no minimum sponsorship criteria, no exploitation of sponsorship for education to force contribution, and not considering mobilizing sponsorship as a condition for providing educational and training services.

The mobilization, receipt, management, and use of sponsorship funds must be publicly announced and listed at the educational institution receiving the sponsorship and comply with current legal regulations. The management and use of these funds must follow the principles of thrift, efficiency, proper purpose, and preventing losses and waste. Do not accept items that do not meet the purpose of use in the educational institution, harmful or dangerous items for the environment, health of staff, teachers, employees, and students.

Donors are encouraged to self-organize the implementation of investment in construction, procurement of equipment, and complete installation for handing over to the educational institution based on agreement and guidance from the educational institution. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to sponsor and support the development of the educational cause, strengthen school facilities, support teaching and learning activities, and other educational activities at educational institutions.

Educational institutions are allowed to mobilize and receive sponsorship funds for the following purposes: Equip teaching and learning tools; equipment for scientific research; renovate, repair, and construct works serving educational activities at the educational institution; support educational, training, and scientific research activities in the educational institution.

Do not mobilize sponsorship to pay for: teaching remuneration; direct expenses for management staff, teachers, lecturers, and employees, security, and protection activities; remuneration for vehicle monitoring of students; remuneration for classroom and school cleaning; rewards for management staff, teachers, and employees; management support costs of the educational institution.

Assessment and Approval of Fundraising Plans within 15 Days

The forms of sponsorship stipulated in the Circular include: Monetary Sponsorship: Donors will transfer a sum of money in Vietnamese Dong or foreign currency, diamonds, gemstones, precious metals directly to the educational institution or through the educational institution's account opened at the State Treasury or a commercial bank.

In-kind Sponsorship: Donors transfer to the educational institution items such as books, notebooks, clothes, food, materials, equipment, teaching tools, construction works, and other items of practical value meeting the essential needs of learners and educational institutions.

For the form of construction sponsorship, the assessment, approval of technical design and total budget, issuance of construction permits, quality management of works, acceptance, handover, warranty, and insurance of construction works are carried out in accordance with current legal regulations on construction investment.

Non-material Sponsorship: Donors transfer or grant the right to use without charge for copyrights and ownership of intellectual property assets; land use rights; labor contribution; provide training services, visits, surveys, workshops, and free consultancy experts for educational institutions.

Based on the annual operating plan and budget estimates assigned by the state agency, periodically or unexpectedly, the educational institution develops a sponsorship fundraising plan, reporting to the Department of Education and Training for approval for preschool, primary, and lower secondary educational institutions; reporting to the Department of Education and Training for approval for high school and other educational institutions under the Department of Education and Training before organizing fundraising activities.

For pedagogical intermediate schools, pedagogical colleges, and higher education institutions, the fundraising plan must be submitted to the School Council or Board of Directors for approval before fundraising and reporting to the direct superior authority.

The Department of Education and Training, the Education and Training Department are responsible for assessing and approving the fundraising plan within 15 days from the date of receiving the educational institution's application. If detecting that the fundraising plan is not in accordance with the procedure, regulations, or lacks transparency, the educational institution must be requested to stop implementing the fundraising plan.

The fundraising plan must clearly define the content, purpose, beneficiaries, estimated budget, and implementation plan for the activities requiring sponsorship.

Using Sponsorship Funds for Proper Purposes

Regarding the management and use of sponsorship, the Circular clearly states: The educational institution develops a plan to use the sponsorship, in which the purpose, beneficiaries; organization method, implementation progress; activity quality, product quality, works, accompanied by a detailed cost estimate appropriate to the current standards and norms.

The plan to use the sponsorship funds must be publicly announced and listed at least 15 working days before implementation to collect feedback from staff, teachers, employees, students, parents, guardians (if any), and sponsors.

The implementation process of the sponsorship usage plan must follow the set objectives, ensure timeline, product quality, compliance with standards, norms, current regulations on investment procedures and procurement bidding. The educational institution must make a completion report and publicly list it for learners and the public to monitor and evaluate.

The products and works formed from sponsorship funds must be used for the correct purposes and be allocated regular maintenance funds to ensure effective use, preventing losses and waste. The value of the sponsorship must be monitored and recorded in the educational institution’s accounting books as prescribed.

The Circular also specifies the reception of sponsorship; financial reporting and financial disclosure; the responsibilities of the People’s Committee of provinces and centrally-run cities, the Department of Education and Training, the Education and Training Department, the head of the educational institution, the parent representative board, and the School Council.

Source: Communist Party Online Newspaper of Vietnam

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