Many international schools, and the schools that proclaim themselves as ‘international’, have had many problems in management and operation, affecting students and their parents.

In Hanoi, in early December 2024, parents received a notice from teachers at the Rosemont American International Kindergarten (Long Bien branch) about the temporary halt of service because of unpaid salaries.

The school confirmed that the former owner had left with VND5-7 billion worth of prepaid tuition, leaving the new management board unable to operate the school.

According to Phuc Dong ward People’s Committee, where the kindergarten is located, the facility received an operation license in March 2023 for the ‘Nui Hoa Hong (mountain of roses) Private Nursery Group’, not ‘American Rosemont International Preschool’.

After a few days of suspension, the school resumed classes, apologized for the disruption, and assured parents that financial obligations to staff and suppliers had been settled.

International school involved in land dispute

In HCM City, in December 2024, parents of children attending Saigon Star International School were shocked to learn that the school was forced to pay back land and had to stop the operation of the main campus in Thanh My Loi ward in Thu Duc City. 

The school provides kindergarten and primary education, with annual fees ranging from VND163 to VND530 million. Many families had paid VND0.5-530 million in tuition to the school under 3-5-year education packages, but received no refunds.

The problem was the land dispute, which prevented the school from obtaining an operation license from the HCM City Education and Training Department.

In October 2023, to protect students' rights, the agency allowed the school to maintain operations at its major campus until July 31, 2025, but it was not allowed to enroll new students. The agency sent staff to the school on inspection tours, but the working sessions were not successful.

In November 2024, parents only heard about the enforcement through a notice posted at the school gate. The school announced a relocation to a new site in Hiep Binh Phuoc ward, but the facility was deemed substandard for operation.

The HCM City education department gave guidance to districts and schools to admit the students from Saigon Star, creating favorable conditions for students to continue to receive an education.

Financial crisis

The best known scandal in 2024 related to private education establishments occurred at AISVN (American International School Vietnam).

Founded in 2006, AISVN once attracted over 1,300 students following the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, with annual tuition fees of VND280-725 million VND. 

However, since 2023, the school has faced severe financial crisis. The situation was so serious that parents gathered at the school in July 2023 and asked for their money back. In March 2024, students were told not to come to school as teachers were on a strike because they had not been paid.

Though parents paid a financial package of VND3.6 trillion, AISVN did not have sufficient resources to maintain its operation, and had to stop the academic year in April 2024.

In July 2024, the HCM City Education and Training Department released a decision on suspending the school for 12 months as the school could not satisfy requirements on financial capability and its workforce. By the end of August 2024, more than 300 students had left for other schools, while another 700 students had yet to secure new schools.

In early November 2024, some parents said they had received a letter from the school’s management board which informed them that the school would open the new academic year in January 2025. However, at that time, the watchdog agency said that it had not received any documents related to the resumption of classes and educational activities.

School disappears with VND14 billion

In early 2024, parents whose children attended Green Shoots International School in Cam Chau ward in Hoi An City and Da Nang were still waiting for refunds from the school.

Prior to that, in May-August 2023, the school enrolled children for preschool and high education in the 2023-2024 academic year, with annual tuition fees of VND350-400 million. Before the new academic year, parents had paid about VND14 billion.

On August 8, parents were shocked at the news that all students were being sent to APU School in Da Nang City. But the school refused to accept the students because it had not received tuition from Green Shoots.

Hoang Linh