On the morning of April 9, the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council held a working session with the municipal Department of Education and Training to review resolutions related to the education and training sector across three areas, while proposing drafts for several specialized resolutions to support education in HCMC following the reorganization of administrative boundaries.
Support policies are proposed for universal swimming program
According to a proposal by the HCMC Department of Education and Training, support policies for the universal swimming program for students include funding for pool management and maintenance, tuition fees, and service costs related to school pool operations.
Data from schools show current swimming tuition fees at VND700,000 per student for elementary level, VND650,000 for middle schoolers, and VND600,000 for high schoolers. The percentage of students proficient in swimming across these levels is 24.6 percent, 54 percent, and 58 percent, respectively.
A representative from the HCMC Department of Education and Training admitted these figures are based on subjective school assessments by defining proficiency as the ability to swim 50m and tread water for 90 seconds without requiring swimming certificates from specialized agencies.
During discussions on the draft Resolution for the universal swimming program, members of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee noted that some communes have dozens of schools but only one qualified swimming pool. Currently, only 182 schools citywide have pools, representing a modest 7 percent of total educational institutions.
Consequently, the support policy must ensure the goal of universal swimming is met in both favorable and disadvantaged areas.
Cao Thanh Binh, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee, suggested that the education sector recalculate coordination plans with private entities to organize lessons. He noted that directly funding student tuition fees could be more cost-effective than investing in school pool construction.
Support for students in specialized areas
Regarding the draft Resolution on support policies for children in island communes, ethnic boarding schools, and public specialized schools, a representative from the HCMC Department of Education and Training affirmed that these policies are developed under a specialized mechanism.
HCMC includes two island areas Thanh An Commune and Con Dao Special Zone. The draft resolution proposes a lunch allowance for students in island communes of up to VND440,000 per meal. Specifically, for Thieng Lieng Hamlet of Thanh An Commune, an additional boat fare subsidy of VND440,000 per student per month is proposed for students traveling to Thanh An Island.
However, according to Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Education and Training, one of the current challenges for students in Thieng Lieng Hamlet is the lack of transport providers.
HCMC reviews outdated education policies, proposes new support measures
On this occasion, the HCMC Department of Education and Training is also reviewing and revoking several policies that are no longer appropriate following administrative reorganization. Simultaneously, the department is drafting a Resolution for education support policies in the new context. These include support measures for student-athletes at general schools and specialized sports schools in HCMC, as well as merit-based scholarship policies for students at specialized and gifted schools under HCMC management.
