Kindergarten students participate in exercise at a private school in HCM City’s Gò Vấp District. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Council has approved a policy to waive tuition fees for kindergarten and high school students, effective from the next academic year.

During its 21st session which opened on Thursday, the People’s Council endorsed a proposal from the Department of Education and Training, which aims to benefit all students in public and private institutions, excluding foreign-owned schools.

An estimated VNĐ653 billion (US$25.7 million) will be allocated from the public budget to support these waivers for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The nation’s largest city is now the ninth locality in Việt Nam to eliminate tuition fees for primary and secondary education, joining Đà Nẵng, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Khánh Hòa, Quảng Nam, Vĩnh Phúc and Yên Bái.

Current public school tuition fees range from VNĐ50,000 to VNĐ650,000 per month, determined by local authorities.

The session will also address personnel matters, including the reduction of specialized agencies from 21 to 16, resulting in the elimination of 6,291 positions, roughly 20 per cent of the workforce.

This transition is projected to require nearly VNĐ17 trillion ($664.5 million) in budget support.

In addition, policies will be discussed to assist veterans and individuals who contributed to the revolutionary cause, along with enhancing resources and promoting digital transformation in the city.

Other key topics include investments in road infrastructure and special tuition assistance for preschool children under five and high school students for the upcoming academic year. — VNS