A class session at Phạm Ngọc Thạch Primary School in Phú Nhuận Ward, HCM City. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — More than 31,800 children in vulnerable circumstances in HCM City are expected to receive comprehensive support covering meals, school uniforms and fees for school-based programmes.

The HCM City People’s Committee has submitted a proposal to develop a resolution outlining special support policies for children in public preschools; students in public primary, lower and upper secondary schools; learners at continuing education and vocational–continuing education centres; and students in specialised education institutions who are living in particularly difficult circumstances.

According to the review conducted at the start of the 2025–2026 school year, the city has 31,837 students in special circumstances. These include 3,511 children from poor households, 9,958 from near-poor households, 14,346 children with disabilities, 738 double orphans and 217 children who lost one parent and were abandoned by the other, now living with grandparents or caregivers who have since passed away.

The resolution covers children who fall into the following categories: double orphans; children who lost one parent and were abandoned by the remaining parent, now without any surviving grandparents or caregivers; and children with disabilities whose parents or caregivers belong to poor or near-poor households under local poverty standards.

Under the proposal, students with special circumstances will receive comprehensive support. They will receive lunch subsidies based on actual costs, with a maximum of VNĐ40,000 (US$1.53) per student per day.

They will also receive support for service and educational activity fees, including the costs of organising and maintaining semi-boarding services, breakfast services, after-school care, air-conditioned classrooms and IT or digital transformation utilities. This support will be calculated according to actual expenses but will not exceed the maximum allowable level.

In addition, they will receive support for school-organised programmes outside regular hours such as foreign language classes with native speakers, life skills training, swimming lessons and other skill-development activities. This support will be provided up to the citywide maximum rate.

Eligible students will also be provided with uniform subsidies, set at VNĐ300,000 ($11.5) per child for preschool, VNĐ400,000 ($15.3) per student for primary school, VNĐ450,000 ($17.3) per student for lower secondary school and VNĐ500,000 ($19.2) per student for upper secondary school.

For the 2025–2026 school year, uniform subsidies will be provided at 50 per cent of the above rates to reflect the resolution’s effective date of January 1, 2026.

The total estimated budget for 2026 is VNĐ570 billion ($21.6 million), funded from the city’s budget under current decentralisation rules.

State budget support will be channelled through educational institutions to benefit public-school students in special circumstances. Lunch subsidies will be calculated based on the number of semi-boarding students and actual meals provided.

Fees for educational services and school-based programmes will be based on the actual number of eligible students at each school, calculated according to the months of instruction, not exceeding nine months per year.

Uniform subsidies will depend on the actual number of eligible students at each educational institution.

The People’s Committee noted that the policy demonstrates the city’s proactive approach and commitment to social equity. Once the resolution takes effect, students will not only continue receiving tuition exemptions but will also benefit from additional support for meals, uniforms, service fees and extracurricular programmes.

These measures are expected to help children feel secure at school, reduce dropout rates and ensure equal access to knowledge and skills. The policy, the city said, reflects deep humanitarian values and the local government’s care for the next generation. — VNS