Parents of American International School call for help

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education received a distress call from many parents of the 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 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 he was facing serious financial difficulties and owed 1.5-2 months of salary and insurance to 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 school location, the Department will work and connect with other international schools that teach the IB (International Baccalaureate) program or suitable private schools to introduce a place to study.

"Some 11th and 12th grade students are having 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 came to pick up their children at the American International School Vietnam on the morning of March 19. Photo: Le Nguyen — Some parents came 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 Thanh Phuoc, a resident of Nha Be district, the school bus is no longer running as before, so he has to take his two children to class. In addition, his children's classes are not running.

"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 get a taxi to go home.

Mr. Hoang Hung, a parent of a 6th grader, also picked up his child half an hour after 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 4th grade.

AISVN was established in 2006, teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Tuition fees are 280-350 million VND per year for preschool, 450-500 million VND for primary school and 600-725 million VND 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

*Parent's name has been changed

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