Isaac Newton Primary School to collect reservation fee from all students

The announcement on collecting reservation fee to all students of Isaac Newton Primary School

Isaac Newton Primary School has just sent an announcement to parents about a reservation fee. Accordingly, students need to pay VND5 million ($220) or VND8 million ($350), depending on the class they attend, to ensure they can continue studying in the school in the next academic year.

Accordingly, the payment deadline is May 31 with 10 per cent incentive for the school development fund for the 2020-2021 academic year. In case parents do not pay in time, their children will not be able to study at the school in the coming school year and the school will select new students to take their place.

The announcement also said that from the 2020-2021 school year, in case of force majeure which forces the school to change teaching form, the school will still collect fees for the full 10 months to ensure the quality of teaching.

“Actually, we have paid the full fee, including school meals and the school bus service for the three months students had to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school did not mention returning these fees while announcing the reservation fee,” a parent of a fourth-grader told VIR.

Meanwhile, another parent wrote in the OFFB group (a group of auto lovers), "This is money-minded education. This school is dangerously lacking in ethics.”

Pointing out that the reservation fee goes in stark contrast of the school's motto, a parent sent a message to the form teacher of a class, saying that, “It seems that the school lacks capital and wants to get into parents’ wallets.”

So far, the school has not responded to VIR's queries, promising to answer by May 11.

According to Le Ngoc Quang, deputy director of Hanoi Training and Education Department, collecting reservation fees violates regulations.

"If you look up the list of fees and charges, there is no fee named reservation,” he said.