What is educational sponsorship? Sponsorship form in Vietnam

What is educational sponsorship? Sponsorship form in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. What is educational sponsorship?

According to Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT, educational sponsorship refers to a non-refundable voluntary cash contribution, a contribution in kind or a non-material contribution financed by non-state budget sources of a domestic and foreign agency, organization and individual (hereinafter referred to as sponsor), which is given to educational institutions.

2. Sponsorship form in Vietnam

Specifically, in Article 4 of Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT, the sponsorship form in Vietnam include:

- Cash sponsorships: Sponsors may transfer a sum of money in the Vietnam dong or another foreign currency, diamonds, gems and precious metals directly to educational institutions or into accounts of educational institutions opened at state treasuries or commercial banks.

- Sponsorships in kind: Sponsors may transfer to educational institutions such material objects as textbooks, notebooks, clothes, food, food supplies, materials, equipment, teaching aids, construction works and other valuable objects in order to satisfy actual needs of students and educational institutions.

As regards construction works transferred as a sponsorship, evaluation and approval of technical designs and total cost estimates, granting of construction permits, quality control of construction works, pre-acceptance testing, hand-over, warranty and insurance shall be conformable to existing legislative regulations on capital construction investment.

- Non-material sponsorships: Sponsors may transfer or grant rights of free use of copyrights and rights of ownership of property under intellectual property protection; land use rights; contribution of labor days; provide training services, and those relating to sightseeing tours, surveys, seminars, or consultants, free of charge to educational institutions.

3. Details of sponsorships to be mobilized and received in Vietnam

Educational institutions shall be entitled to mobilize and receive sponsorships based on the following details:

- Donating equipment and supplies as sponsorships for

+ Teaching and learning activities; donating equipment as sponsorship for scientific researches; carrying out refurbishment, repair and construction of facilities as sponsorships for educational activities carried out at educational institutions;

+ Giving support for educational, training and scientific research activities performed at educational institutions.

- Sponsorships shall not be mobilized to pay

+ Teaching remunerations, expenses directly relating to school administrators, teachers, lecturers and staff members, school security and safety activities;

+ Remunerations for watching student’s vehicles;

+ Remunerations for maintenance of school or class hygiene;

+ Rewards to school administrators, teachers, staff members;

+ Other overheads of educational institutions.

(Article 3 of Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT)

4. Principles of mobilization, receipt, management and use of sponsorships in Vietnam

According to Article 2 of Circular 16/2018/TT-BGDDT, the principles of mobilization, receipt, management and use of sponsorships include:

- Sponsorship must adhere to the principle of voluntariness, public disclosure, transparency, non-compulsion, no restriction on the average amount of sponsorship, no restriction on the minimum amount of sponsorship, avoid exploiting educational sponsorship to force contributions, and must not consider mobilization of sponsorships as mandatory conditions for provision of educational and training services.

- The mobilization, receipt, management and use of sponsorships must be published and publicly posted on notice boards of educational institutions receiving sponsorships, and must strictly observe regulations laid down in applicable laws.

- The management and use of sponsorships must conform to the principle of cost efficiency, effectiveness, serving the right purposes, avoiding any loss or wastefulness.

- Physical objects that are not suitable for use in educational institutions or those that are harmful or dangerous to the environment and the health of officials, teachers, employees and students must be avoided.

- Sponsors should be encouraged to put their own stakes in the construction and purchase of equipment and the complete installation thereof for handover to educational institutions according to the agreement and guidance of educational establishments.

- Organizations and individuals should be encouraged to offer their sponsorships and aids for the purposes of educational development, improvement of educational infrastructure, support for teaching, learning and educational activities at educational institutions. 

Thanh Rin

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