VietNamNet Bridge – Six hundred students in Huong Binh Commune of Huong Khe district in the central province of Ha Tinh have stayed at home for several months, as their parents and local authorities still cannot agree about school restructuring.

Local authorities decided to split and merge some schools in the locality in a school restructuring plan but they did not consult students and local residents about the plan, making unreasonable decisions.

As a result, many parents have forbidden their children to go to school until the local authorities agree on their proposals. Meanwhile, they have appealed the local authorities’ decisions, thus damaging schools’ assets and disturbing public order.

The problem, which arose several months ago, was expected to be resolved quickly. The case has been in the media daily, and it has been reported to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), and the government; it has also reached the ears of VIPs.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on November 25, 2014 in person instructed relevant ministries and branches to join forces with local authorities to discuss the problems and find the solution. He said the case must be settled within December.

MOET’s Deputy Minister Nguyen Vinh Hien on the same day said that MOET will bring hundreds of students back to school as soon as it can.

The statement was released after Hien attended a Government Office meeting with the presence of the chair of Ha Tinh province and the leaders of the local education and training department.

Dao Trong Thi, Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, the Youth and Children, noted that parents and local authorities have been using students as “hostages” to “haggle” their benefits.

“By doing this, the parents have been accidentally harming their children,” he commented.

He emphasized that students’ benefits must not be affected by the adults’ problems. “While waiting for the involved parties to reach a consensus, students should be let go to school as usual. Any changes in the schools’ restructuring will be made after the parties agree on what to do,” Thi said.

Ninh Thi Hong from the Vietnam Children Rights Protection Association pointed out that the parents’ behavior has violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

However, despite the harsh criticism from the public, educators and high ranking officials, the students still have not returned to school.

Thanh Mai