Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education received a request for help from many parents of American International School Vietnam (AISVN) because their children were affected when the school owed salaries, causing teachers to not go to work.
On the morning of March 19, Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said in the petition that parents had talked to the school many times, paid more money, and supported teachers' salaries, but the problem was not resolved. Currently, their children's education is not guaranteed, and teachers are owed salaries and have to quit their jobs. Parents hope that the agencies will support and resolve the issue so that students can soon stabilize their studies.
About 1,400 students at the American International School Vietnam had to stay home from school yesterday. The school owner said that it was facing serious financial difficulties and owed 1.5-2 months of salary and insurance for teachers and staff.
Mr. Minh said that this afternoon the Department worked with Ms. Nguyen Thi Ut Em, President of AISVN. Within its authority and capacity, the Department tries to ensure the right to study for students. If parents want to change their place of study, the Department will work and connect with other international schools that teach the IB (International Baccalaureate) program or suitable private schools to introduce places to study.
"Some 11th and 12th grade students have difficulty transferring schools. The Department will support them and ensure that their studies are not interrupted," said Mr. Minh.
"As for transactions, loan contracts, and investments between parents and schools, they are beyond the authority of the Department."
Some parents come to pick up their children at the American International School Vietnam on the morning of March 19. Photo: Le Nguyen
Last night, AISVN announced that it would reopen. However, according to Mr. Thanh Phuoc, a resident of Nha Be District, the school buses are no longer operating as before, so he has to take his two children to class. In addition, his children's classes are not operating.
"My child called to say he had to sit in the cafeteria, there was no teacher," said Mr. Phuoc.
By 8:30, more than a dozen students were picked up by their parents. A ninth-grader said that many classes had no teachers today. After an hour of wandering around the schoolyard, the male student had to book a car to go home.
Mr. Hoang Hung, a parent of a 6th grader, also picked up his child half an hour after arriving at school. "There were no teachers in the 6th grader. I felt uncomfortable so I picked up my child," said Mr. Hung.
According to some parents, they will continue to file complaints against the AISVN school owner for violating the contract commitments, as well as asking for help from the Department of Education and Training.
"Parents have no other choice but to prepare mentally and have a plan for their children to transfer schools if the situation does not improve," said Ms. Hanh, a parent with children in kindergarten and grade 4.
AISVN was established in 2006, teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Tuition fees are VND280-350 million per year for preschool, VND450-500 million for primary school and VND600-725 million for secondary school. The school has about 1,400 students with 400 teachers and staff, both Vietnamese and foreign.
In October 2023, AISVN attracted attention when many parents gathered to collect debts. These parents said they lent the school tens of billions of dong without interest so that their children could study for free, but by the time their children graduated, they had not received any repayment.
Le Nguyen
*Parents' names have been changed
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