Ho Chi Minh City education authorities warn against homeschooling

The department said it had recently received reports of several cases in which parents chose homeschooling, an approach in which children receive their education at home instead of attending school.

Among the cases, some students had completed grade 1 through homeschooling, while others had been homeschooled through grades 1, 2 and 3.

In some cases, children had completed the entire five-year elementary education program at home before their parents returned to seek enrollment at a school as they prepared to enter grade 6.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training noted that the parents said they chose homeschooling based on guidance from centers that claimed to be authorized to provide academic education.

Teachers from these centers taught students at home and issued certificates confirming that they had completed their classes.

Tuition fees were around VND20 million (US$765) per academic year.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has referred the cases to police for investigation.

The department warned that under current education laws, elementary education is compulsory, meaning all children of the required age must attend school to complete the level.

The Vietnamese government is responsible for ensuring conditions for education, while parents are obliged to send their children to school.

Homeschooling is not in line with regulations on compulsory education and may also put children at a disadvantage in their learning and development.

Children who do not attend school may not have full access to the general education curriculum, educational activities, skills training, or opportunities to socialize and interact with their peers.

Lam Hong Lam Thuy, head of the general education division under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, has asked ward- and commune-level authorities to inspect and review all centers providing academic education, life-skills training and other services to school students to prevent centers from offering homeschooling programs for primary school students.