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HCM CityOpposition to Vietnam Australia International collects fees of 20-40 million dongs online during the Covid-19 epidemic, more than 200 parents attended school on the morning of 5/5.
Parents stood in front of Vietnam Australia International School, District 10, protesting the tuition charge policy, on the morning of May 5. Photos: Manh Tung.
The gate of Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) on Ba Thang Hai Street, District 10, is full of parents. They raised the slogan opposing the school’s enrollment policy during the epidemic. Many police officers and regional police officers were mobilized to maintain order.
More than an hour later, parents are invited to the room but do not accept a dialogue with the “school representative” because this person has no authority or power of attorney. Both signed a petition to the Ministry of Education and Training, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City for their consideration and solution.
The parent representative said VAS collects the enrollment rate for the year, in 2 or 4 terms (with 4 modules, each of which is approximately 2 months). Including meals, transportation, the amount parents pay each year varies from 200 to 500 million, depending on the level of education.
In early April, the school announces payment for a quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. Parents are frustrated that the third-party enrollment (calculated from early January through mid-March) has not been used because students are absent from Covid-19 school. Parents of students request the school to reimburse the tuition fees for Part 3, they differ to charge Part 4, when students return to charge according to the actual number of days of study.
VAS explained that the fee should be charged because the school maintains online teaching activities, enrollment costs, staff, teacher and staff salaries during breaks due to Covid-19. By not accepting, VAS parents continue to protest.
More than 200 international Vietnamese-Australian parents came to the conference room to speak to the school representative, but failed. Photos: Manh Tung.
On May 2, VAS announced a 70% reduction in enrollment. When students return to school, tuition and other amounts will be calculated according to the grade level listed since the beginning of the year, based on the number of weeks of study. Parents still disagree because according to the calculation method above, the school still collects 30% of the online teaching fee (VND 20-40 million) which is too high. Online learning starts only in late March, while tuition is paid from early January.
According to Mr. Vo Huu Loi (father of District 7 base), VAS teaches online late, incomplete, only 3 shifts per week. “Such a fee is not adequate because the school enrollment is very high compared to common ground. Learning online is not as effective as studying at the school,” said Loi.
Tran Quang Tuan (a parent from the Tan Binh campus) said he was willing to share difficulties with the school due to illness, but income and expenses should be clear. He asked the school to establish a specific fee schedule to reimburse parents’ unused balance and agree to the tuition fee online. “We do not ask for a reduction, but we need a transparent school, we are like clients. We only accept payments before the school day as prescribed,” Tuan said.
Parents sign the petition to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Ministry of Education and Training. Photos: Manh Tung.
Parents previously protested enrollment during the epidemic vacation that took place at many other international schools in Ho Chi Minh City.
In late April, parents. Sao Viet School (VStar School) in District 7 also went to school to protest the policy of charging fees and service fees. The move comes after the school announced a new tuition fee for the school year, while second-quarter tuition for the 2019-2020 school year was paid for but not used by parents.
VStar School then reimburses 100% of tuition while the student is online. When the student returns, the prescribed make-up period will calculate the normal tuition fee.
A group of parents Australian International School (AIS) also filed an objection to collecting school tuition during the season because the two sides were unable to agree to refund tuition fees during the online course.
Leaders from the City of HCM Education and Training Department said they had received recommendations from parents at the Vietnam International Australia School, the Australian International School and the Sao Viet School, asking schools to report. According to the Department, online tuition fees from non-public educational institutions and centers must be agreed with parents.
The 2019-2020 school year has 35-37 weeks of study. After approximately 20 weeks of schooling, students must be absent due to Covid-19. Students in grades 9 and 12 in Ho Chi Minh City return to school from the beginning of this week, the remaining classes take turns studying in the following weeks.
