How much should Vietnamese spend to raise their children?
The well-off are often willing to spend tens of millions of dong for every child, equal to six months of income of many poor people. Thu Mai in Hanoi and her family members are leading good lives thanks to the prosperous business in many fields, from restaurants to real estate and import/export activities. She has three children: the eldest is a seventh grader at a secondary school, the second goes to the first grade and the youngest is three years old. The monthly tuition for the eldest daughter at an international school alone costs VND10 million. Besides, the girl also studies piano, dance-sports and English. The expenses for the second daughter are lower: Mai only has to pay for her tuition and English lessons. The girl will study music and dance-sports classes after several more years.
