Pennschool school system's Tran Binh Trong Street campus in Cho Quan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quynh Tram / Tuoi Tre
On Monday, several parents reported to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that the PennSchool campus on 10 Ba Thang Hai Street in Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, had unexpectedly closed ahead of the new school year.
Some parents said they had already paid tuition but were caught off guard when the school remained closed on the scheduled first day, with no explanation provided.
PennSchool said that the closure was linked to procedures to renew its lease for the premises at the Laos Student Dormitory under the Ho Chi Minh City campus of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance.
Incomplete lease renewal procedures
According to a PennSchool representative, the lease renewal was delayed due to the merger and restructuring of the authorities overseeing the premises.
"The process itself is not complicated. It simply involves transitioning from one lease agreement to another, specifically the renewal process. The restructuring of the overseeing agencies caused the lease renewal to be delayed," the representative said.
The school explained that the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, formerly the National Academy of Public Administration, was previously under the Ministry of Home Affairs before being merged into the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and later separated again.
Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs also underwent a merger.
Asked why the school had announced the start of the school year despite knowing that the lease renewal was delayed, the representative described the situation as an unexpected issue.
"The school never wanted this to happen because we have built our reputation since our establishment," the representative said.
"We always wanted the administrative procedures to be completed as soon as possible and tried to work around the timeline for the lease renewal. This was an unexpected situation."
The PennSchool campus on Ba Thang Hai Street currently has 25 classes with 477 students.
Students to attend temporary campus, receive 4 weeks of free tuition
In response, the school said it had informed parents and asked them to postpone classes at the Ba Thang Hai campus for several days.
Under the temporary arrangement, students will take part in online learning and orientation activities on Tuesday.
From August 26 to 28, they will attend classes temporarily at the school's campus at 240 Tran Binh Trong Street, Cho Quan Ward.
The school said it would contact parents to help arrange transportation to the temporary campus.
Students are expected to officially return to the Ba Thang Hai campus on September 3, according to the school.
For students at the campus, the school is offering several forms of support, including 100 percent tuition waivers for the first four weeks of classes and additional benefits for siblings.
For tuition fees already paid, the school said it would either credit or refund the corresponding amount and provide individual guidance to each family.
Parents call for school meeting with ward officials
Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper, Nguyen Thanh Trung, head of the Culture and Social Affairs Division of Hoa Hung Ward, said the ward had asked the school to provide a preliminary report on the situation and requested that PennSchool hold a parent meeting attended by ward officials.
According to Trung, the school had submitted a plan to move students to its second campus on Tran Binh Trong Street, which is reportedly capable of accommodating more than 400 students.
"The ward has instructed relevant agencies to seek input and review the number of students. If parents decide to transfer their children, schools in the area will facilitate their enrollment," Trung said.
"School transfers are a matter of agreement between parents and schools, but given the current difficulties, local schools will provide support if parents wish to transfer."
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