Left behind : The educational struggles of migrant children
For 11-year-old Song A Sua, life in Binh Duong has never felt like home. Despite having lived there for seven years and holding an identity card, he struggles to fit into urban life.
Sua moved from the northern mountainous province of Son La to Binh Duong Province in southern Vietnam with his parents, Song A Chua, 29, and Giang Thi Xong, 30, in 2017, when he was just four years old. The couple worked long hours at a factory in Tan Uyen City, leaving little time to care for their son. Consequently, they enrolled him in a private kindergarten, an unfamiliar concept for H’Mong families like theirs.
Sua cried often and insisted that his mother take him home after just two months at the kindergarten. He felt isolated in class because his mother couldn’t speak Vietnamese, and none of the teachers spoke H’Mong.
The family struggled to pay for the kindergarten, living on an income of just over VND10 million (US$394) a month. This barely covered living expenses, money sent to their 14-year-old son back home, and contribution to a VND20-million debt. Faced with these challenges, they decided to keep Sua at home. They bought him a smartphone and prepared his meals before leaving for work. « It’s better this way; we’d save money, » Xong said.
Sua’s care shifted from the kindergarten to women in the boarding house, who were on maternity leave.
Education barriers
In 2018, when Sua’s grandmother was swept away by flooding on her way to the fields, the family returned to Son La for the funeral. A month later, Sua and his older brother Thai were left in the care of their grandfather as their parents returned to Binh Duong. The elderly man struggled with household chores, leaving the brothers to cope with irregular meals. Worrying about frequent rains and flooding in Son La, Chua decided to bring both boys to Binh Duong shortly afterward.
Like Sua, Thai did not attend school. The brothers spent their days in the family’s 12-square-meter boarding room, playing games, watching videos, and listening to H’Mong music on their phones.
When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the family separated again. Chua stayed in Binh Duong to work, while Xong and the children returned to Son La. Back home, Thai resumed school, but Sua stayed at home, unable to catch up with peers who had already learned to read and write.In mid-2022, after the pandemic eased, Xong returned to Binh Duong with the two boys, intending to stay for a « few months » before sending them back to school. However, those few months have stretched into two years.
Many migrant H’Mong children in the same boarding house, aged 3 to 15, are left alone or under the care of older siblings. For them, attending school is a luxury.
According to the 2019 Population and Housing Census, migrant children are the most disadvantaged group when it comes to accessing education. Only 55.7% of migrant children aged 11-18 attend school in Vietnam, compared to 83.9% of non-migrant children.
Kim Ngoc The Ngan, Deputy Chairwoman of the Uyen Hung Ward People’s Committee in Tan Uyen City, Binh Duong, explained that many children join their parents during the summer and return to their hometowns for the school year. For those who stay in Tan Uyen, local authorities have worked to simplify residency procedures to help them enroll in public schools.
However, many still miss out on education due to financial hardship or because schooling is not prioritized by their families. Ngan cited examples of migrant worker families enrolling their children in private schools that match their overtime schedules, but the families often struggle to pay the tuition for long periods. In some cases, children stop attending after gaining basic literacy skills.
Bridging the gap
Song A Chien, a teacher at Kim Bon Primary and Secondary School in Son La Province, has spent the past nine years teaching children whose education has been disrupted because their parents’ migration, helping them learn to read and write.
Every new school year, he notices one or two students missing from class because their families have moved to industrial zones outside the province. Concerned they will fall behind in their education, Chien does everything he can to persuade the families to bring their children back to school.
On his days off, he joins the village chief on home visits to convince parents to re-enroll their children. In many cases, he has to make several follow-up calls before succeeding.
« If I can’t reach a parent on the first try, I’ll call again the next day. Giving up isn’t an option for me, » Chien said.
As one of the first H’Mong people from his village to graduate from high school and then university, Chien understands the value of education. He sometimes shares his personal story during his house visits.
To ease the discomfort and shyness of students who have been absent from school for long periods, Chien often visits them early in the morning, bringing them to class and helping them review previous lessons. He also assists with enrollment paperwork for students advancing to the next grade, as many parents are away for work and grandparents are unfamiliar with administrative procedures.
Despite these efforts, the path to education for children at Kim Bon Primary and Secondary School remains full of obstacles. Only 30% of students continue on to high school.
Barriers to education
Dr. Doan Kim Thang, former Head of Social Security and Social Work at the Institute of Sociology, noted that for migrant families, « continuing a child’s education in large urban areas is a significant challenge. »
He identified two key factors influencing children’s access to education in cities: the availability of schools and the family’s financial situation.
In reality, the educational infrastructure in many localities is insufficient to meet demand, particularly at the preschool level, where only 45% of migrant workers’ children have access to education.
In Uyen Hung Ward, which hosts over 100 enterprises and 35,000 temporary residents, class sizes often exceed the education sector’s standards. Nguyen Thanh Lam, Chairman of the Uyen Hung People’s Committee, explained that while a standard class is capped at 35 students, local classrooms often accommodate 40-42. When schools become overcrowded, the ward has to redirect students to neighboring areas.
Thang said the pressure on schools and policies prioritizing permanent residents make it even harder for migrant workers’ children to access public education. Parents often have no choice but to enroll their children in private kindergartens, where tuition is four to five times higher than at public schools. Many low-income families cannot afford these costs, forcing them to either withdraw their children from school or send them back to their hometowns.
« When children cannot access a suitable education system, they are easily left behind, » Thang said. « This is one of the prices families pay for migration in pursuit of better economic opportunities. »
Fair futures for migrant youth
Dang Nguyen Anh, former Director of the Institute of Sociology, pointed out that Vietnam still lacks dedicated policies for migrants, despite their significant contributions to the development of many localities. Based on decades of research since 1990, he observed that the negative impacts of migration remain unaddressed and have worsened over time, becoming structural issues like social security.
« Many policies still differentiate between permanent and temporary residents. Migrants are excluded from social security protections and stable employment. As a result, this group faces greater challenges in achieving stability and integration, » he said.
Phan Van Hung, former Deputy Minister and Vice Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, argued that migrants are being treated « unfairly. » Current policies still present numerous barriers, restricting their access to social services, housing, and education.
« This is an injustice, » he said, noting that migrants play a crucial role in addressing labor and employment needs in urban areas.
Experts emphasize the need for a fairer approach to policy-making. They suggest that enterprises should not only address the basic needs of migrant workers—such as food, clothing, and shelter—but also invest in the future of their children.
According to Doan Kim Thang, ensuring a better future for migrant children requires both effective policies and a clear vision from parents. Migrant workers need stable jobs with sufficient income to cover living expenses and secure their children’s education.
At the same time, local authorities must implement supportive policies to help migrant children, particularly those from ethnic minorities, access education more easily. Initiatives such as introductory classes can help them better adapt to their new environments.
Do Thi Ngoc Quyen, former Director of the Institute for Education Quality Assurance at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, highlighted language barriers as the greatest challenge for ethnic minority children, whether in rural or urban areas. They must simultaneously learn three languages: Vietnamese, English, and their native tongue.
« Even studying in their villages requires significant support, let alone in urban settings. It’s no surprise that this group tends to drop out when moving to cities, » Quyen said.
To bridge the educational gap for migrant children, Quyen emphasized the need for inter-provincial cooperation. Social workers should proactively track the number of migrant children arriving in different provinces and collaborate with local authorities to ensure they can access education in a timely manner.
Sua and Thai’s family has felt the challenges of raising their sons without schooling.
Xong recently took Sua and Thai back to Son La, deciding to leave them there so Sua could start school and Thai could continue his.
« They need to go to school, » the mother said, acknowledging that even though her children would be away from her, « knowing how to read and write is still better. »
By Phung Tien & May Trinh – VnExpress.net – December 7, 202