Parents take their children to the provincial capital to protest the school merger.

Parents bring their children to stand in front of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee headquarters to protest the merger of schools in Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Chuong district - Photo: DOAN HOA

Parents worry about the long distance to the school after the merger.

In recent days, due to a lack of consensus on merging the Thanh Nam branch of Ngoc Son Primary School in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, into the main school campus, some parents have been keeping their children home from school.

On April 12th and 15th, approximately 20 students and many parents traveled over 40km to stand in front of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee headquarters on Truong Thi Street, Vinh City, to petition for the continued operation of the local branch school.

Information from parents who disagree with the school merger suggests that the main school campus is far away, making it extremely difficult to transport their children due to their difficult family economic circumstances, with many family members working far from home.

Parents are hoping for a socialized reconstruction of the Thanh Nam branch school so that their children can study closer to home.

Regarding the parents' concerns, Mr. Thai Van An, chairman of the Ngoc Son commune People's Committee, said that the Thanh Nam branch school has 5 classrooms with 159 students and, built in 1976, has deteriorated.

The classrooms are damp, poorly lit, and humid, making them unsuitable for teaching.

In 2022, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Ngoc Son commune issued a plan to merge Thanh Nam school branch into the main school branch.

In August 2023, when outlining the merger roadmap, the leaders of Ngoc Son commune, representatives of the commune's primary and kindergarten schools, and the organizing committee held a meeting with residents of the three hamlets with students attending the Thanh Nam branch school to listen to the concerns, aspirations, and suggestions of the parents.

Students at Ngoc Son Primary School, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, in the newly equipped computer lab - Photo: BUI AN

According to Mr. An, in preparation for welcoming students back to the main school campus, since July 2023, the District People's Committee and the Ngoc Son Commune People's Committee have focused resources on investment and mobilized socialized funding for education to upgrade facilities and purchase additional teaching equipment.

As a result, 6 new classrooms, a playground, a fence, and a school gate were built; the office and 5 functional rooms were renovated and upgraded; 30 new computers, 11 televisions, and 70 sets of desks and chairs were purchased; and an artificial turf field was constructed. The total investment for these projects exceeded 8.8 billion VND.

However, when the merger was officially implemented on April 10th, 28 students did not return to school due to objections from many parents, citing reasons such as the long distance.

"The distance from the hamlets with children in remote areas to the furthest main school is only 3km, closer than many other hamlets in the commune. Transportation is also easy because, in addition to National Highway 46, there are three other concrete roads in the hamlets that are convenient for parents to take their children to school," Mr. An said.

A better learning environment for students.

Mr. Bui Xuan An, principal of Ngoc Son Primary School, said: "When merging the smaller school branches into the main school, our greatest wish is to provide the children with a better learning environment and ensure their safety, especially during the rainy season. The school will continue to encourage parents to send their children to school to prevent them from being disadvantaged."

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Trinh Van Nha, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong District, said: The merger of school branches and schools aims to create a better learning environment and improve the overall quality of education. This is also a policy of the district and communes that has been approved and supported by the majority of the people.

"Opposing the merger and preventing students from attending school violates children's rights, including their right to education and learning. The district will continue to raise awareness and encourage people to send their children to school."

In the 2024-2025 school year, in addition to merging Thanh Nam Primary School, Thanh Chuong district also merged four other school locations, including three primary schools and one kindergarten in Ngoc Son commune.

Nghe An has merged many schools.

In Nghe An province, in 2014, residents of Quang Son commune, Do Luong district, kept their children out of school to protest the merger of the Van Ha village branch school into the main Quang Son commune primary school.

In early September 2022, hundreds of parents in Khai Son commune, Anh Son district, also kept their children from school to demand that local leaders and the school resolve their opposition to the merger of Lang Son Secondary School and Khai Son Secondary School into Khai Lang Secondary School.

Local authorities subsequently held numerous dialogues with parents, seeking solutions to get students back to school.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cha-me-dua-con-len-tinh-phan-doi-sap-nhap-truong-20240416161822148.htm