Parents 'uproar' when hearing elementary schools announce to stop boarding

A series of primary schools in Phan Thiet area (Lam Dong province) informed parents that they would stop providing boarding education, causing an uproar among parents.

For the past two days, many parents in the Phan Thiet City area, former Binh Thuan province (now Lam Dong province) have been "upset" when they received notices from primary schools temporarily suspending boarding school.

Due to the application of the resolution of the former Lam Dong Provincial People's Council

Responding to Thanh Nien reporters, a representative of an elementary school in the Phan Thiet area said the information that schools are stopping boarding school is true.

However, this representative said it was only a "temporary pause" because the schools currently do not know what to do after the policy in the Phan Thiet area is replaced by the policy applied from Resolution No. 385, dated December 10, 2024, issued by the People's Council of Lam Dong province (old).

Accordingly, except for the fact that primary schools are allowed to pay nannies to provide lunch for students instead of teachers having to directly provide lunch for students at school (teachers are paid 80,000 VND/day), another thing that primary schools in the Phan Thiet area "have never done" is to bid to provide meals for students (according to Decree 214).

Boarding classes at primary level in Phan Thiet area, former Binh Thuan province

PHOTO: QUOC HANH

"While none of the principals in our Phan Thiet area (out of 29 primary schools with boarding schools - PV) have a bidding certificate," said a principal in the Phan Thiet area.

Also according to a principal in the Phan Thiet area, all schools were "shocked" when the policy for primary schools with boarding schools was changed "without consulting us".

Specifically, in the previous school year, each school had at least 10 nannies, but now that the new policy has been implemented, hundreds of nannies have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, teachers do not agree with the fact that they have to stay at noon to take care of students (earning 80,000 VND/day). Currently, boarding schools have invested hundreds of millions of VND in infrastructure and kitchen equipment that meet food hygiene and safety standards, and suddenly... have to abandon them.

Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee has no policy to stop boarding schools.

On September 2, responding to Thanh Nien reporters about the above information, Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Minh, affirmed: "Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee has no policy to stop the form of primary boarding school. Immediately after receiving this information, the Provincial People's Committee directed the Provincial Department of Education and Training to quickly inspect, review and provide guidance and remove difficulties for schools in implementing boarding school".

Similarly, Ms. Le Thi Bich Lien, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Lam Dong province, said that on August 26, the Department of Education and Training of Lam Dong issued instructions on organizing 2 sessions/day for primary education in the 2025-2026 school year.

Lunch of primary boarding students at a primary school in Phan Thiet area, former Binh Thuan province

PHOTO: QUOC HANH

According to this guideline, boarding school will be based on the conditions of facilities and the voluntary participation of parents so that the school can develop a plan and report to the People's Committee of the ward or special zone for approval before implementation. The principal is responsible for managing meals and food hygiene and safety for boarding students.

The Director of the Department of Education and Training said that immediately after receiving information that primary schools in the Phan Thiet area had arbitrarily announced the suspension of boarding school, causing confusion among parents, the Department of Education and Training of Lam Dong sent an urgent dispatch (September 1) to the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones stating: Currently, information is spreading on social networks, many primary schools with boarding schools (last school year) have notified parents to stop organizing boarding school, causing confusion and frustration among parents.

Bac Phan Thiet Primary School, Phu Thuy Ward, Lam Dong Province (belonging to Phu Thuy Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province) is a school that has organized boarding school for students for many years.

PHOTO: QH

Therefore, the Department of Education and Training requests the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones to urgently direct and grasp the situation at schools in the area; at the same time, report to the Department of Education and Training the list of educational institutions that had boarding schools in the previous school year, but did not organize boarding schools this school year, clearly stating the reasons why boarding schools were not organized (if any).

The urgent dispatch of the Department of Education and Training said that primary schools are encouraged to continue maintaining the form of boarding. All difficulties and questions must be reported to the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones by the Department of Education and Training before September 3.

Ms. MTK, a civil servant in Phan Thiet Ward, whose children are in 3rd and 5th grade this year, said that when she heard that the school would not organize boarding classes, she was "shocked" because she did not know where to send her two children when both husband and wife work and do not have the conditions to pick up their children at noon. "This information was too surprising for my husband and I. If the school really does not organize boarding classes like last year, we will have to ask to transfer our children to a private school, which is more expensive but allows us to arrange our work at the office and pick up our children in the evening," Ms. K. shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phu-huynh-day-song-khi-nghe-cac-truong-tieu-hoc-thong-bao-dung-ban-tru-185250902155211078.htm