VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Department of Education and Training has ordered the closure of a local primary school for autistic children due to maltreatment of students along with other violations.

Autistic children at Anh Vuong Primary School

The department sent an investigative team to the Anh Vuong Primary School on July 21 after accusations that teachers used rods to beat students. According to the department, the school is in fact a private company and its license to operate as a school was revoked late last year. After their license was revoked the management board of the company asked permission to operate as a care facility for the elderly and disabled who have made contributions to the revolution. However, the school still bore a name indicating them as a care centre for children with autism and developmental problems.

Currently the school takes care of 30 children divided into four classes. The tuition for each student is from VND3 million (USD142.8) to VND8 million (USD380.9) per month. Most of teachers and staff members do not have proper training.

Following recent articles about the mistreatment at the centre, teachers explained that the use of abusive methods was only the way to force children to take their meals.

As of July 21, many students were still attending the school, while other parents who were informed withdrew their children immediately.  

Clip exposes the truth

A clip recently posted on internet records mistreatment by school staff.

During lunch, teachers violently forced children to eat. On July 5, a student named Bang refused to take his meal and a teacher named Van used an iron rod to beat him.

A student  named Bang being beaten by teacher Van

The student panicked, running around the dining room while Van continually slapped him in the face. This incident on the clip ends with other teachers holding the student's head, force-feeding her rice.

When another student broke a flower vase, he was grabbed violently by a teacher and forced to search for the shards. Then the teacher took him to the first floor, pulling his ears and head. The student was forced to lie down on the ground and the teacher sat the child and beat him.

VNN/DTriNews