Hanoi international kindergarten suspends classes over unpaid rent

The school, located in the Hapulico building in Thanh Xuan District, has faced mounting frustration from parents, many of whom have already paid substantial tuition fees.

According to a report from Thanh Xuan District's Department of Education and Training, parents expressed their dissatisfaction after their children were repeatedly sent home, despite the families having already paid hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong in tuition. (VND100 million = US$3,920)

The school acknowledged that it owes rent and has been unable to continue negotiations with the landlord. Additionally, the school has failed to pay teachers and staff their salaries for February.

In an effort to address the issue, the school offered to refund parents 150% of the tuition fees paid for the days when students could not attend classes.

Vu Tuyet Lan, vice head of the district’s education department, said the department has requested the school reach an agreement with the landlord and communicate with both parents and teachers regarding plans to resolve the situation.

However, some parents have already lost trust in the institution.

"The school has promised multiple times to refund 150% of the tuition fees, but they never followed through," said Nguyen Thi Thanh, a parent with children enrolled at the school since last year.

Another parent, Bui Thanh Huong, mentioned that the school completely closed down on Feb. 26 without providing a clear plan for resolution. Many parents were forced to transfer their children to other schools, and several teachers had already quit and begun looking for new employment.

"The school does not return calls or text messages," Huong added.

In an online group for the school’s parents, 51 members reported having collectively paid approximately VND4 billion ($156,801) in tuition fees.

The Rosemont American International School operates four campuses across Hanoi, in Thanh Xuan, Hoang Mai, Long Bien and Nam Tu Liem districts. The Hapulico facility caters to around 100 students.