A teacher of biology live streams her lesson in Phú Yên Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Cường

HÀ NỘI — Additional tuition fees for distance education during the coronavirus outbreak must be decided by parents and schools and not exceed total tuition for the academic year announced from the beginning, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

Trần Tú Khánh, head of the MOET's Department of Planning and Finance, said learner support services were not included in main curricula. Therefore, payments have to be discussed by parents and schools.

Khánh said the ministry was unable to regulate fee collection as it was not part of the yearly budget plan and schools would have to calculate expenses based on the workload to cover these services and negotiate with parents before imposing fees.

According to Khánh, the ministry is surveying issues facing schools amid the epidemic to adjust regulations and the Government’s assistance to cope with COVID-19.

Under current regulations, schools can't collect tuition fees for time off due to disease prevention but students must pay for classes made up to cover days missed.

For general education institutions, tuition is collected for nine months per year. The number for higher education institutions is 10.

Tuition fees at private and international schools have to be agreed on by parents and declared at the beginning of each school year.

Earlier, on March 13, Hà Nội Department of Education and Training (DOET) announced schools were not allowed to charge additional fees for distance education during the outbreak. The decision was walked back on Tuesday after schools protested.

The capital has deployed an e-learning system for fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 11th and 12th graders and collaborated with Hà Nội TV Station to air lessons.

Several other provinces including Bắc Ninh, Nghệ An, Thái Bình and Nam Định have also accelerated distance and televised teaching, prioritising ninth and 12th graders who have important examinations this summer.

On March 12, Minister of Education and Training Phùng Xuân Nhạ announced the extension of the school year until mid-July.

Under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the national high school examination is set to take place from August 8 to 11, a month later than normal.  

The examination is an annual major event in Việt Nam which decides whether students can graduate from high schools and enrol in higher education institutes. — VNS