China News Service, August 31. According to the website of the Ministry of Education, a few days ago, the Ministry of Education and other five departments issued a notice on the "Opinions on Further Strengthening and Standardizing Education Fee Management" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). The "Opinions" require that schools must not force or imply students and parents to purchase designated teaching supplementary software or materials, and must not charge related fees in forms such as early start of school or in disguised violation of regulations.
The "Opinions" clarified that to further strengthen and standardize the management of educational fees, we must adhere to the attributes of public welfare, classified management, adhere to graded approvals, territorial management, adhere to the basic principles of problem-oriented, reform and innovation, improve the educational charging policy, improve the educational charging management system, and strengthen Education fee governance.
The "Opinions" require the improvement of education fee policies. Insist on implementing the nine-year compulsory education system. Compulsory education is fully included in the scope of financial security, and public compulsory education schools do not charge tuition or miscellaneous fees. All localities must strictly implement the Compulsory Education Law, consolidate and improve the funding guarantee mechanism for compulsory education in urban and rural areas, adhere to the nine-year compulsory education system, and prohibit arbitrarily expanding the scope of the free education policy. The exemption of tuition and miscellaneous fees for students of private compulsory education schools shall be implemented in accordance with the standard quota of public funds per student; for the insufficiency of education and training costs per student, non-profit statutory requirements shall be strictly implemented, and the charging standards shall be reasonably determined. It is strictly forbidden to collect donations linked to enrollment. Schools or other social organizations that recruit students in the compulsory education stage for professional training in arts, sports, etc., in accordance with relevant state regulations, shall not collect tuition and miscellaneous fees for students who have completed the nine-year compulsory education course.
Adhere to the implementation of non-compulsory education training cost sharing mechanism. Non-compulsory education implements an investment mechanism in which government investment is the mainstay, the educated is reasonably shared, and the funds are raised through various other channels. Provinces should implement and dynamically adjust the financial appropriation standards for public kindergartens, ordinary high schools, secondary vocational schools, vocational colleges, and ordinary undergraduate colleges according to the cost of running schools, the level of economic development and financial resources. Schools (including kindergartens, the same below) collect tuition (childcare education fees) from the educated according to a certain percentage of the average annual education and training cost of students, and take full consideration of the actual cost (deducting financial appropriations) from the boarding students. Students with financial difficulties families Enjoy reduction and exemption policies in accordance with relevant national regulations. All provinces should reasonably determine the proportion of public kindergarten, ordinary high school, and secondary vocational school tuition (care and education fees) in the average annual education and training cost in light of local conditions. At this stage, the tuition fees of public institutions of higher learning should not exceed 25% of the average annual education and training costs of students, and localities should be reasonably determined according to the level of economic and social development, training costs, and the affordability of the masses.
Army-run kindergartens enroll children of local personnel and receive subsidies from the local people’s government. They shall collect fees in accordance with the relevant regulations of public kindergartens; if they do not enjoy the subsidies, the military shall formulate specific fees in accordance with relevant national policies and reasonably determine the charging standards. The charging policies for Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools and part-time postgraduate education shall be formulated by each province.
Adhere to the implementation of classified management of private education fees. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Private Education Promotion Law, the specific methods for non-profit private schools’ fees shall be formulated by the provincial people’s government; the fees of for-profit private schools shall be regulated by the market and determined by the schools themselves. The charging standards of inclusive private kindergartens are based on the management measures for inclusive private kindergartens promulgated by the provincial people’s governments, and the charging levels of public kindergartens and inclusive private kindergartens are considered as a whole, combined with the level of economic development, the affordability of the masses, and the cost of running the kindergarten. Factors such as the level of financial subsidies are reasonably determined. All localities should speed up the formulation and implementation of financial subsidy standards for inclusive private kindergartens, implement public expenditure subsidies for private schools in the compulsory education stage, strengthen regulation of fee standards, and resolutely prevent excessive fees. For private schools established before November 7, 2016, the charging policies shall be managed as non-profit private schools before the relevant procedures for classification registration are completed.
Improve school service fees and agency fees and other policies. In addition to completing normal childcare, education and teaching tasks, the school provides relevant convenient services for school students to study and life, and organizes research trips, after-school services, social practice and other activities, corresponding to students or their parents In part, service fees can be charged based on voluntary and non-profit principles. If related services are provided by institutions or individuals outside the school, the school may collect and pay related fees. The specific policies on school service fees and agency fees shall be formulated by each province. Items that have been explicitly prohibited by the state or explicitly stipulated by the government shall not be included in service charges and agency charges. Schools shall not set up service charges and agency charges without authorization, shall not obtain price differences in agency charges, and shall not force or imply purchases by students and parents The designated teaching supplementary software or materials shall not be used in the form of early start of school or other forms of disguised violation of regulations and additional related fees. On-campus student dormitories and off-campus student dormitories organized by social forces are not allowed to compulsorily provide related life services or bundle service charges with accommodation fees. The school’s self-operated canteens collect food fees from students who voluntarily eat meals. They should adhere to the principle of public welfare and not for profit.
Improve the charging policy for Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas Chinese students studying in the Mainland (mainland of the motherland). For students from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who study in the Mainland (mainland of the motherland) and overseas Chinese students studying in primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, the same charging policy as for students from the Mainland (mainland of the motherland) shall be implemented in accordance with the relevant regulations; admission to the Mainland (mainland of the motherland) is common Higher education institutions and scientific research institutes shall follow relevant regulations to implement the same fees as those of similar students in the Mainland (mainland of the motherland).
Improve the international student fee policy. For international students studying in public primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, the charging policies are set by the provinces. The school charging policy for children of foreign personnel shall be independently formulated by the school. The charging standards for self-financed international students accepted by colleges and universities shall be reasonably determined by the school in accordance with the local economic and social development level and training costs and other factors to avoid causing vicious competition. For students who come to China for education in accordance with the agreement between the Chinese government and the sending country, the charging policy shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations.
The "Opinions" require that the education fee management system be improved. Establish and improve a dynamic adjustment mechanism for education fees. Localities should reasonably determine public school tuition (care and education fees), accommodation and other charging standards, establish and allocate funds in accordance with the prescribed management authority and localized management principles, and comprehensively consider factors such as the level of economic and social development, education and training costs, and the affordability of the masses. The dynamic adjustment mechanism of fee standards adapted to the level of funding and funding. If there is any change in the school's charging policy, it shall be publicized to the public before the enrollment guide is released. Encourage localities to adapt to the teaching organization model under the flexible academic system, and explore the implementation of the credit system charging management of colleges and universities. For schools that have been approved to implement the credit system, the total tuition fees paid by students for completing their studies normally according to the credit system training program shall not be higher than the total tuition fees for the implementation of the academic year system. The school can add other professional courses or retake courses according to the courses taken Fees are charged for the prescribed credit fees. The tuition and accommodation fees are charged according to the school year or semester in accordance with the "Old Student and Older Method, New Student New Method", and cannot be collected in advance across the school year (semester). If a student suspends school, withdraws from school, ends school early or transfers with approval, the school shall reasonably determine the refund amount based on the actual study time. All localities must fully implement the various national funding policies to help students with financial difficulties solve practical problems, and must not affect the normal study and life of students due to the adjustment of tuition standards.
Strengthen the investigation of education and training costs. Revise and improve the "Measures for the Supervision and Audit of the Cost of Education and Training in Higher Education (for Trial Implementation)" in due course, and organize the supervision and audit of the average annual education and training cost of higher education. In accordance with the pricing authority, the provinces, in accordance with the price law, the "Government-Developed Price Cost Supervision and Examination Measures", etc., combined with local conditions, actively carried out the investigation of the education and training costs of kindergartens, ordinary high schools, and secondary vocational schools, and standardized the investigation of education and training costs. Schools at all levels and types should strengthen cost accounting, complete and accurately record and calculate the cost of education and training.
Standardize the hearing system for education charge decisions. All localities must strictly follow the authority and procedures prescribed by the state to formulate or adjust the government-sponsored school tuition and other fees at all levels and types, include them in the pricing hearing list and implement hearings, fully solicit opinions from relevant parties in the society, and ensure the democratic and scientific decision-making on education fees Sex and transparency. If the education fee standard is lowered or the adjustment of the education fee standard involves a small amount, the hearing may adopt a simplified procedure. Formulate other education fee standards and conduct hearings if deemed necessary.
Strictly implement the education fee publicity system. All localities must strictly implement the education fee publicity system, and no fees are allowed without publicity. Schools at all levels and types should establish and improve a standardized and dynamic management system for fee publicity and actively accept social supervision. The charging items and standards should be publicized to students in a prominent place in the school and indicated in the enrollment brochure and admission notice. The charging standards of private schools in the compulsory education stage shall be announced together with the public subsidy received by the school. Students have the right to refuse to pay for fees that should be publicized but not publicized according to regulations, or for fees that are not in compliance with the public policy. When the charging policy changes, the school shall update the publicity content in time to ensure that the publicity content is legal and effective. All localities must strictly implement the list of administrative fees and charges for education, etc., and must not increase fees or expand the scope of fees without authorization.
Strengthen the management of revenue and expenditure of education fees. Public general high school and secondary vocational school tuition and accommodation fees, public colleges and universities tuition, accommodation, entrusted training fees, Han University TV University night large and short-term training fees and other income, as business income, in accordance with the requirements of "two lines of revenue and expenditure", Included in the management of special financial accounts. The revenue management of public kindergartens shall be implemented in accordance with current regulations. Service fee income shall be listed and disbursed by the school in accordance with regulations; all agency fee income shall be transferred from the school to the service provider and shall not be included in the school’s income. Schools should incorporate all the revenue and expenditure of education fees into departmental budget management, and increase the overall fund planning; related expenditures for education fee arrangements shall be included in the project library for standardized management according to regulations. Combining education fees and other income conditions, make overall arrangements for fiscal appropriation budgets to better utilize the efficiency of fiscal funds. All localities shall not use school fee income to balance the budget, and shall not squeeze, intercept, adjust or misappropriate school fee funds in any form. All income from private schools should be paid into the school bank account filed by the education administrative department for unified management. It is mainly used for education and teaching activities, improving school conditions and guaranteeing the treatment of faculty and staff, and withdrawing development funds in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. When collecting administrative fees, schools should use fiscal bills printed (supervised) by the financial department in accordance with the financial affiliation. When collecting service fees, they should use corresponding tax invoices. When collecting fees, they should use fund settlement bills.
The "Opinions" require strengthening the governance of education fees. Implement the responsibility of education charge supervision. Education fees adhere to the principle of "whoever approves and who is responsible". In accordance with their respective responsibilities, the member units of the Joint Conference on Educational Charges shall include education charges in the catalog management, timely and dynamically adjusted and announced to the public in a timely manner, and supervise the implementation of relevant charging items and charging standards in accordance with the law; strengthen the investigation of education charges and establish a sound Dynamic adjustment mechanism of charging standards; strengthen the supervision and inspection of charging in the education field, investigate and punish illegal and illegal charging behaviors in accordance with the law; strengthen the price management of teaching materials and auxiliary materials; guide all levels and types of schools to implement education charging policies and standardize charging behavior. Schools at all levels and types must strictly implement the prescribed charging ranges, charging items, charging standards and charging methods, and establish and improve school charging management systems.
Improve the working mechanism of education fee management. All localities should attach great importance to the management of educational fees, establish and improve leadership systems and working mechanisms, and insist on systematically promoting the management of educational fees. The member units of the Joint Conference on Governance of Unreasonable Charges for Education shall make overall plans and coordination, improve the regular consultation and information release mechanism, form a charge management work pattern with clear responsibilities, collaboration, linkage, and mutual promotion, and strengthen the governance of education charges in key areas. The management of education fees must be included in the scope of education supervision. Explore the establishment of a special audit system for school fees, focus on strengthening the audit of non-profit private schools, and strictly prohibit non-profit private school sponsors and non-profit Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run scholars from obtaining income and distribution from school income such as tuition income in various ways School-running balance (residual property) or through related transactions, related parties transfer of school-running income, etc.
Intensify the investigation and punishment of illegal charges. All localities should strengthen the daily supervision and regular inspection of education fees, establish and improve education fee risk early warning, letter and visit acceptance, supervision and supervision, public notification and interview mechanisms, and severely deal with the problems of illegal fees found. Establish and improve the accountability mechanism, and seriously accountable for the units and related responsible persons that fail to implement the main responsibilities of fee management and the measures are not in place, damage the vital interests of the people, and cause bad social impacts. If the illegal and arbitrary charging of private schools has a bad influence, enrollment plans and financial support funds will be deducted in accordance with laws and regulations, until the school permit is revoked or revoked.
Strengthen the basic capacity building of education charge management. Implement the "National Education System Financial Management Cadre Training Implementation Plan", organize and carry out education fee management training, and improve the ability and level of education fee management. All localities should make full use of modern information technology, explore the establishment of an annual statistical reporting system for education fees, strengthen education fee management, further strengthen service awareness, and improve service capabilities and standards.