Private school fees rising fast and its driving up cost of living in Laos

VIENTIANE, Sept 5 (Vientiane Times/ANN): Many private schools in Laos have raised their tuition fees, placing an extra burden on parents during the ongoing economic woes, while education authorities have advised schools to charge fees that are acceptable to both schools and parents.

According to students’ parents, some private schools in Vientiane have raised their fees by 50,000 kip-150,000 kip this school year, and some international schools have raised them even more.

Parents say it’s not just the increase in fees that’s a concern, but the fact that uniforms and educational materials cost more every year.

The mother of one student, who asked not to be named, said that last year she spent 500,000 kip but this year she needed to pay 600,000 kip for school fees and an additional 250,000 kip for a uniform.

She called on the sectors responsible to make changes if possible, especially as everyone is facing financial hardship at present.

To ensure more equality in access to education, the authorities should regulate the fees charged by private schools, she said.

The authorities should also put price caps on uniforms and educational materials such as textbooks, notebooks, stationery and other essential items, she added. Vice President of the Vientiane Private Education Sector Association, Bounty Sitthinonthong, said the association was not able to determine how much each school should charge, but that prices should be reasonable so parents were satisfied with the cost of their children’s education.

Mr Bounty said schools obviously had to cover their running costs and that administrative costs were high, with the main outlay being teachers’ salaries.

In addition, private schools have increased the salaries of management staff and teachers to help them cope with rising living costs.

The director of a private school in Vientiane, who asked not to be named, said the problem she faced was that the wholesale price of school uniforms had risen so the was forced to charge more in line with market prices.

“As we know, almost everything we use must be imported and now most things have almost doubled in price. This means we have to increase the cost of uniforms. Parents can buy some of the textbooks and other items in markets,” she added.

“I understand that things are difficult for parents these days, especially those who have several children,” she said.

However, the Ministry of Education and Sports is calling on schools to collect school fees promptly at the start of the new academic year, which began on September 1.

The ministry has advised school managers and students’ parents to negotiate terms of payment appropriately.

Teachers’ salaries and school fees vary depending on factors such as the level of education. Some schools ask parents to pay fees monthly, while others require payment for one year or per term. - Vientiane Times/ANN