VietNamNet Bridge – Though the quality of care service and meals are not commensurate with the high tuitions, parents still have to bring their children to private nursery schools because state owned schools have been overloaded.

According to the HCM City Education and Training Department, there were 411 non-state owned nursery schools in the 2012-2013 academic year and 1,243 licensed household run classes, an increase of 142 classes over the year before. There were also numerous unlicensed classes, which makes it very difficult for the management agencies to manage the preschools.

HCM City’s parents feel worried when bringing their children to non-state owned schools because of the poor material facilities conditions and the low care service quality, especially after they heard about the pitiful accidents with children

Tran Nhat Huong, a one year old girl, died at the Thien Than Nho nursery school in Long Bien district in Hanoi on August 29.

Nguyen Doan Nhan, a 2-year old boy, was found dead after falling into a sewer in the nursery school in Nghi Loc district of Nghe An province.

At the Gau Truc School in district 7 in HCM City, the children were seen having the lunch with a bowl of rice and just some pieces of meat. When asked if the rice was too dry for children, and if the meal was nutritious enough with just some meat, a teacher there said babysitters would grind the rice for easier swallowing.

There was no playing field and toys for the children. In the notice sent to parents, the school’s management board asked parents to contribute money to buy air conditioners. However, when the reporters arrived, there were only electric fans. A teacher said the air conditioners would be installed soon.

The tuitions set up by Gau Truc are relatively high. Parents have to pay VND2.5 million a month for less than 12 month old children, VND1.8 million for 12-24 month old, VND1.6 million for 24-36 month old, and VND1.5 million for 3-6 year old children. Besides, they have to pay additional sums of VND450,000 for other expenses.

The parents, who bring their children to Ban Mai Nursery School in district 7, have to pay VND1.93 million a month in tuition and VND1.08 million in other expenses. Meanwhile, Ban Mai is not a “star” school: there is a school yard at the main campus of the school, while there is no yard at the other.

The district education sub-departments in HCM City admitted the low service quality of non-state owned schools, but said it is impossible to clear the schools overnight.

The number of non-state nursery schools has been increasing very rapidly which makes it difficult to manage the school system. There exist a lot of overloaded household run groups of classes (more than 200 children and more than 4 classes).

The representative of the district 7’s education sub-department said though the agency knows about the existence of unlicensed private classes, it cannot control the classes. Chung Bich Phuong from Tan Phu district also said that household run classes have been mushrooming and have become uncontrollable.

Meanwhile, the HCM City Education and Training said it can only control the education quality, while the tuitions and school fees are negotiable between the schools and parents.

Chi Mai