Hanoi Department of Education investigates school fund irregularities

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has intervened following reports of irregular spending by parent representative boards at several schools in the capital.

At Chu Van An Primary School, parents raised concerns after a single class reportedly spent 17 million VND on 23 different items within the first month of the school year. These expenses included decorations, cleaning supplies, and various snacks. Following an investigation, the department found that while some proposed expenditures—such as classroom decoration and cleaning services—did not comply with regulations for parent representative boards, no single class had actually spent the full 17 million VND as reported. Consequently, all 64 participating parent boards at the school have returned the remaining funds to parents after deducting legitimate expenses.

In a separate incident at Khuong Dinh High School, the parent representative board for class 10A4 collected 2 million VND per student without a prior spending plan. This led to the purchase of an interactive television and a sliding board totaling approximately 42.6 million VND. While the department noted that 43 out of 51 parents supported the purchase, the collection process lacked proper consensus and planning. Additionally, some parents voluntarily contributed to classroom improvements like painting and installing Wi-Fi, which were not part of the official activity plan.