On ‘tuyen dung giao vien mam non, bao mau tai TP HCM’ (job vacancies for preschool teachers, babysitters), one can find announcements to recruit workers with offered salaries of VND6-14 million.

Thousands of teachers at private kindergarten schools across the country are struggling to earn a living after nearly seven months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many students in HCM City who are going to graduate from secondary schools are now considering private education facilities. 

The representatives of many private schools in Hanoi have expressed their concern that they may go bankrupt if they are not allowed to start teaching before September 5, the official opening day of the academic year.

Many pre-school teachers in HCM City’s private schools have found themselves ineligible for the support package the city has allocated to help those hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The HCM City Department of Education and Training has told private schools to negotiate with students’ parents the tuition fees they need to pay for the closure period following complaints that many schools are demanding unreasonable amounts.

The recent disputes over school fees between VAS and parents have revealed painful weaknesses in financial management and training quality at the institute.

Fifty one private kindergartens in HCM City have closed down, unable to afford rents and salaries to regular teachers amid the COVID-19 shutdown, the city Department of Education and Training reported.

41,000 teachers and employees in HCM City have been laid off temporarily or lost their jobs as private schools face shutdown threat.

Following requests from tourism and manufacturing companies, private schools are now calling for help from the State.

Low training costs are one of the reasons for many students to enroll in state-owned universities, but the tuition of the schools is increasing.

As many as 150 private educational institutions are seeking assistance from the Government, as nationwide school closures triggered by the spread of the novel coronavirus have caused great difficulties for them.

As of 2019, Vietnam counted five foreign invested universities, 68 private schools and 170 public ones.

“Can you believe it, our Thăng Long (Ascending Dragon) has become Hạ Long (Descending Dragon)!” exclaimed one graduate of the school, one of the top public schools in Hanoi.

The Government recognises the importance of private schools to development of the national education system, the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children has said.

VietNamNet Bridge - Private universities in the past were often considered inferior to state-owned schools, but that image has changed in recent years. 

VietNamNet Bridge - It is too early to say it is a trend, but many rectors of state owned universities have resigned their posts to work at private schools.

VietNamNet Bridge - Analysts say that discriminatory treatment is hindering the development of Vietnam education.

VietNamNet Bridge – Students, especially those attending private schools and centres for continuing education in HCM City, face difficulties accessing research facilities and applying their research findings in practical settings.