Saigon Star international school closes, refuses to play ball on fee refund
Many people whose children were studying in Saigon Star International School in HCMC’s Thu Duc City were shocked to learn it has shut down after its premises were seized.
The land where it is situated has been at the center of a dispute between its owner and a bank for years.
In a 2020 ruling the erstwhile District 2 People’s Court ordered the school to hand over the land to the bank.
The Civil Judgment Enforcement Department of Thu Duc City — created by merging districts 2, 9 and Thu Duc — issued several eviction notices to the school between May and July 2024.
But parents who had paid tuition fees of VND500 million (US$19,700) to VND1.6 billion for the year have been left in the lurch.
They have demanded refunds but the school management is reportedly incommunicado after floating the idea of moving to a new location 16 km away.
Thanh Lan, a resident of Thu Duc City and the parent of a three-year-old, said she had prepaid three years of tuitions worth VND550 million just three months ago.
« My family lives near the school, and my sister also studied here, but I never heard anything about lawsuits or disputes.
« When the eviction notice was posted at the school gate on Nov. 18 I was completely taken aback. »
Since then Lan and many other parents have repeatedly sought refunds hoping to move their children to other schools.
But school officials initially put off meetings before they eventually stopped responding.
Ngoc Phuong, the parent of a second grader, said she only learned about the situation in mid-November.
The school originally announced a winter break from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5, but recently extended the closure until Feb. 13.
It also revealed plans to move to a new location in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward in Thu Duc City, some 16 km from the current site.
« I visited the new location, which is an abandoned preschool, » Phuong said.
« The facilities have deteriorated, and I’m not sure the school can refurbish it in time to reopen after Tet. »
Hong Hanh of Thu Duc City, who has two children in preschool and third grade, said she feels as if she is « sitting on a pile of fire. »
She has paid fees in advance of over VND1.6 billion for three and five years but her children have only completed one semester.
« Several teachers have announced their resignation, » she said.
« The school management has disappeared, and with teachers leaving en masse we don’t know who to turn to for our refunds. »
Saigon Star is a preschool and primary school offering the International Primary Curriculum that charges annual tuition fees of VND163-530 million.
According to reports, it has around 200 students, including preschoolers.
On Dec. 13 Ho Tan Minh, chief of the HCMC Department of Education and Training, acknowledged there had been complaints from parents regarding the school’s closure.
The department has directed local education officials and primary schools to accept students transferring from Saigon Star.
Minh explained that transferring schools has little impact on preschool children.
For primary school students, since the first semester has just ended, it is a suitable time for other schools to welcome and accommodate them.
By late May his department had instructed Saigon Star not to admit new students for the 2024-2025 academic year, but it had defied the directive, he revealed.
« As for tuition refunds, that is a private agreement between the school and parents. In case of disputes, parents may need to file lawsuits.
« The department and other authorities have repeatedly summoned school officials for meetings, but they refused to cooperate. At this point we are also unable to contact them. »
By Le Nguyen – VnExpress.net – December 13, 2024