Half of striking American School teachers working again

Students at the American International School Vietnam in HCMC during international math examinations in 2020. Photo courtesy of AISVN

Le Thuy My Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, told at a meeting Tuesday that more than 50% of the school's teachers have expressed willingness to resume their teaching positions at the school.

"A portion of the teaching staff remains uncertain due to the school's failure to honor their promises concerning remunerations and housing accommodation."

Chau said the department has instructed the school's departments to ensure the students’ academic content is fully prepared in anticipation of the resumption of classes.

AISVN is staffed by 129 foreign teachers alongside 26 Vietnamese, a number of whom opted to stop working last month due to issues related to unpaid salaries and insurance. This resulted in the suspension of classes for students from March 18.

By March 20, a total of 85 teachers had resigned from their positions at the school.

AISVN, established in 2006, provides curriculums under the International Baccalaureate program.

The school's tuition is VND280-350 million (US$11,260-14,070) a year for kindergarteners, VND450-500 million a year for primary school levels, and VND600-725 million for middle and high school levels.

Parents have three payment scheme options: One is that they can pay VND4 billion for each child to study at the school from first to 12th grades, and get a full refund after graduation or when the students switch schools. The second option is to sign up for a VND2 billion package from first to 12th grades, which comes with no refund. The third option is to pay annual tuition each year.

Chau said around 1,000 parents had signed contracts for the first package between 2019 to September 2023, and another 244 for the second package. In October last year, many parents convened to demand refunds after their students had graduated under the first package.

But the school has been suffering losses and began having trouble paying teachers' salaries in September last year.

Deputy Director Le Thuy My Chau of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, speaking at a press conference on April 2, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/An Phuong

At a meeting with parents and city authorities on Saturday, Nguyen Thi Ut Em, the school owner, asked for VND125 billion in support from parents to sustain the school's operations.

"We intend to conduct a thorough review of AISVN’s administrative and workforce structures to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of salary distribution," Chau said.

Around 1,000 parents are keen on their children continuing their education at the school, but only 612 have agreed to pay more as a means to contributing towards that end. By Tuesday afternoon, 542 parents had contributed a collective sum of VND21.7 billion, a figure adequate enough to remunerate the teachers, who have been unpaid since January.

Em is currently under a travel ban linked to personal income tax discrepancies. Furthermore, AISVN faces a temporary suspension from enrolling students for the academic year 2024-2025 until it rectifies its financial and staffing problems and stabilizes its educational environment.

Ho Chi Minh City is home to 35 educational establishments funded via foreign investment, predominantly offering curriculums from North America and the U.K., complemented by Vietnamese academic subjects. The tuition fees at these institutions can ascend to as much as VND1 billion annually.