Thu Ha, a parent in Hanoi, has been seeking information about enrolment plans by private schools. She is willing to pay a deposit of VND15 million to secure a spot at a private school, ensuring a backup plan in case her child fails to get into a public Grade 10.

Several private schools in Hanoi have released recruitment notices and initial fee schedules for Grade 6 and Grade 10 for 2025. These include various admission methods tailored to each school’s goals and programs to select suitable students.

At many schools, if a student is accepted, they must pay a “deposit” fee—referred to by different names such as registration fee, reservation fee, or enrollment fee—to confirm their admission. These fees are typically a one-time payment made by parents to secure a spot for their child and are non-refundable if the student does not enroll. If the student studies at the school as promised, the fee will be deducted from other expenses for the school year.

With a child preparing for the Grade 10 entrance exam in Hanoi, Thy Hang from Cau Giay District is ‘aiming’ at the Olympia Schools.

The mother explained that after thorough research, she found the school very suitable for her child. The annual tuition for 10th graders is VND220 million VND, the development fee is VND18 million VND, and meals cost VND28.5 million. Additionally, students have to pay a reservation fee of VMD15 million. This fee is also mandatory for new students at the time the school confirms their admission for the next academic year.

“I think this is a ‘deposit’ to reserve a spot at the school for my child, an agreement between parents and the school to establish mutual responsibility. Without this fee, parents might register haphazardly, leading to a high number of ‘ghost’ candidates, making it hard for the school to determine how many students will actually enroll,” she explained. 

In a similar situation, Huong Trang from Nam Tu Liem District is also urgently searching for a private school for her child. She said she’s interested in Luong The Vinh Secondary and High School and learned that the reservation fee there is VND15 million, similar to many other schools. 

Other private high schools also set high reservation fees. Archimedes High School maintains a reservation fee of VND23 million VND; Wellspring Bilingual International School VND 25 million; Newton Secondary and High School VND12 million, and so on. The admissions staff of these schools advise parents to consider carefully, as registering their child for enrollment means agreeing to the deposit fee and accepting the school’s non-refundable policy.

Despite the high reservation fees, many parents accept to pay the fees to ensure their child has a backup spot for Grade 10 in case they don’t pass the public school entrance exam. The decision to spend this amount depends on each family’s circumstances, and future plans for their child.

The principal of a private secondary school in Hanoi said that it is understandable why parents accept to reserve spots at private schools to “guard against failing”. The competition for public high schools is getting fiercer over time and a high number of secondary school graduates fail the high school entrance exam each year. 

However, he advised that parents shouldn’t be overly anxious and reserve spots at multiple schools, as it can become very costly. They should focus on schools that match their child’s abilities and future goals.

At the 2024-2025 Recruitment Guidance Conference, Hanoi Department of Education and Training Director Tran The Cuong noted that some private schools in the area require a fee to reserve seats there, with some setting very high fees. 

However, the head of Hanoi’s education sector expressed disapproval, stating: “The educational environment needs to uphold humanity. We reiterate and strongly advise against this practice. While we understand that reservation fees are an agreement between parents and school owners, from an educational and pedagogical perspective, it’s not ideal. Therefore, I urge schools to learn from this,” Cuong said.

Hanoi has about 127,000 students graduating from secondary school, a decrease of nearly 6,000 compared to last year. The total quota for Grade 10 in public schools is 79,000. Thus, the admission rate is over 62 percent, a slight increase from the 60-61 percent of previous years.

Hoang Thanh