All AISVN students had to stay home on Monday because most teachers did not come to work due to salary and insurance reasons. As the school reopened on Tuesday, the school said there would be “unavoidable disruption”.
Nguyen Thi Ut Em, chairwoman of the AISVN board of directors, said on Monday that the school was forced to reopen following a discussion with the Ministry of Education and Training and others competent authorities. If the school remains closed, it will face various sanctions, she said.
“The school has reopened, but teaching and studies cannot yet return to normal, at least for this week. We have asked teachers to return to school, but it is a sure chance two. Some teachers might not come to class.” Em said, adding that the school has more than 400 teachers and staff, both in Vietnam and abroad.
Em did not reveal how much the school still has to pay for teachers’ salaries and insurance, saying she wasn’t sure of the exact amount. However, she said foreign teachers were denied two months’ salary and insurance. Meanwhile, Vietnamese teachers and other staff are also being withheld 1.5 to 2 months of salaries and social insurance.
Em said the school will try to find ways to pay, because foreign teachers can leave permanently if they can’t receive their full salary and insurance.
She said the school is in a precarious financial situation and cannot currently cover operating costs as well as salaries. Although the school appealed for donations from parents, only some agreed to do so.
The school is considering letting the investment funds restructure.
“I am negotiating with investment funds and partners. The most pressing issue at the moment is financing and money flow,” Em said.
AISVN was established in 2006 in Nha Be district. The school teaches the International Baccalaureate program. Tuition fees are VND280-350 million ($11,300-$14,100) per year for kindergarten children, VND450-500 million for primary school students, and $600-725 million for middle and high school students.
Several parents gathered in September last year to demand that the school repay its debts. They said the school borrowed tens of billions of Vietnamese dong interest-free so the children could study for free, but even after the children graduated, the money was not repaid.
Em has not revealed how much money the school owes parents.
HCMC has 35 foreign-owned schools. Their programs mainly use those from North America and the United Kingdom, as well as some Vietnamese subjects. Tuition fees can reach up to VND1 billion per year.
