American International School Vietnam faces dissolution after year-long shutdown

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have proposed dissolving the American International School Vietnam (AISVN) over unresolved financial and staffing problems more than a year after it ceased operations.

The Department of Education and Training said on Aug. 11 that AISVN had been suspended for 12 months starting July 1 last year for not meeting legal requirements on teaching conditions, staffing and financial capacity.

Officials said the school has not fixed these issues and recently sought another year of suspension. As of late June, AISVN had not submitted workforce reports, while its parent company, American International School Education JSC, had closed its headquarters and ceased operations. The company and the school reportedly owe more than VND31 billion (US$1.2 million) in unpaid social, health and unemployment insurance contributions.

The department concluded that its investors had no viable financial plan to settle outstanding debts.

In May, board chairwoman Nguyen Thi Ut Em, 62, was arrested for allegedly disturbing public order, inciting vandalism in front of the school’s gate. City inspectors have also asked police to investigate signs of illegal fundraising from parents through education investment and loan contracts.

Founded in 2006 in HCMC’s Nha Be District, AISVN enrolled about 1,200 students before its suspension, most in the International Baccalaureate program, with annual tuition ranging from VND280 million to VND725 million ($11,000–$29,000). The school employed 129 foreign teachers, 26 Vietnamese teachers and 103 staff members.

In late 2023, parents staged protests over unpaid refunds, with school leaders admitting severe financial difficulties. More than 900 parents had purchased financial packages worth a combined VND3.6 trillion ($142 million) that promised free tuition until graduation, with repayment pledged after students finished school.

Following the shutdown, about 700 students transferred to public, private or international schools, or went overseas to study, according to official data as of August last year.

By Le Nguyen – VnExpress.net – August 11, 2025