Foreign workers want their children to enter 10th grade in public school.

Hanoi: Workers from other provinces feel discriminated against when their children are not allowed to enter public grade 10 because they do not have permanent residence and request consideration so they can work with peace of mind.

This opinion was raised by Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Vice Chairman of the Trade Union of Yamaha Motor Company (Noi Bai Industrial Park, Soc Son) in a dialogue with city leaders on May 18.

Mr. Dong said that many of the workers from other provinces come to Hanoi to work and live temporarily. They get married and have children here. Their children go to public schools from kindergarten, primary school to secondary school.

But at high school level, children of migrant workers are not allowed to register for the 10th grade entrance exam at public schools. To continue their studies, they must go to private schools, continuing education centers, or vocational education centers.

According to Mr. Dong, some workers in the company have encountered this situation, having to send their children back to their hometowns to continue their studies to reduce the burden because the cost of private schools is 5-6 times higher than public schools. The children are growing up, away from their parents, changing their environment, and it is easy for complicated problems to arise.

"We see this as discrimination and unfair treatment among the city's labor groups," Mr. Dong said, suggesting that Hanoi leaders consider allowing children of migrant workers to enroll in public schools in their locality. This would help workers residing permanently in the capital feel secure in their work, create fairness for their children, and reduce costs.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Vice President of Yamaha Motor Vietnam Trade Union at the dialogue with Hanoi city leaders on May 18. Photo: Vo Hai

Hanoi Chairman Tran Sy Thanh said he took note of this opinion and assigned the Department of Education and Training to conduct research to develop appropriate policies for workers' children. The city strives to complete the research project on minimum unit prices in education and health care by July, ensuring students have fair access.

According to the 2023-2024 school year admission guidelines of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, students taking the 10th grade entrance exam for public schools must be permanent residents of Hanoi, or have a parent or guardian permanently residing in Hanoi. This is similar to previous years.

Hanoi currently has 10 industrial parks, export processing zones and the Hoa Lac high-tech park with 661 operating enterprises. Of the approximately 165,000 workers working here, 80% are from other provinces and live in rented houses.

In the first quarter of 2023, the average income of workers reached 7 million VND per month. The Hanoi Labor Federation assessed that the above level did not meet the minimum living needs due to inflation. In addition to electricity, water, accommodation, and living expenses, they also worry about many educational expenses for their children.

Vo Hai - Hoang Phuong

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