Hanoi to charge for early drop-off, late pick-up under new school fee rules

Under the resolution, public preschools, elementary and middle schools, and continuing-education and vocational centers offering the general-education curriculum will be allowed to charge up to VND12,000 (US$0.45) per hour for supervision outside regular class hours.

The service covers care before and after the school day and excludes meals.

The council left other fee ceilings unchanged, including VND235,000 ($8.9) per month for day-boarding care, VND133,000 ($5) for boarding equipment, VND16,000 ($0.6) for drinking water, and VND10,000 ($0.4) per kilometer for transport services.

Two services will be eliminated, including afternoon academic sessions at middle schools and extracurricular tutoring, because schools will no longer be permitted to collect tutoring fees from 2025 under national regulations.

Schools with adequate facilities will be required to operate full-day schedules.

Life-skills education will remain the only extracurricular service allowed, with a proposed cap of VND15,000 ($0.6) per teaching hour.

Schools must set specific fees within the caps, obtain written consent from parents, and secure approval from school administrators and local authorities, the council said.

They must also issue receipts and provide exemptions or reductions for eligible students.

The listed fees may not be collected when classes are conducted online.