Foreign teacher assault incident prompts language teaching partnership inspections in southern Vietnamese city

The municipal People’s Committee announced on Wednesday that chairman Truong Canh Tuyen had instructed relevant departments and agencies to strengthen oversight and ensure student safety in foreign language teaching partnerships at educational institutions across the city.

The chairman assigned the municipal Department of Education and Training to direct the school to work closely with students’ families to monitor the children’s physical and psychological well-being.

The municipal department was tasked with leading a coordinated inspection of foreign language teaching partnerships at educational institutions across the city, working alongside the municipal police, the Department of Home Affairs, and commune- and ward-level authorities.

The inspections will focus on the legal status and eligibility of partner organizations to provide educational services, partnership agreements, the qualifications and professional credentials of foreign teachers, as well as valid work permits or official documents confirming exemption from work permit requirements.

Any shortcomings or violations identified during the inspections must be addressed promptly.

Relevant organizations and individuals will face appropriate sanctions.

The department has also been instructed to require schools to take greater responsibility for directly managing and supervising all educational activities conducted on their premises, particularly lessons involving foreign teachers.

Schools must not delegate all classroom supervision and management responsibilities to partner organizations or individual teachers, the city leadership stressed.

Meanwhile, the director of the Can Tho Department of Public Security has been instructed to assign specialized units to coordinate with Cai Rang Ward police and relevant agencies to receive, verify, and handle information concerning the incident at Viet Hoa School in accordance with their responsibilities and applicable laws.

Besides, police officers will strengthen oversight of the residence and activities of foreign nationals working at educational institutions and partner organizations across the city.

They are expected to coordinate with the education agency to prevent, detect, and handle legal violations that could threaten security and safety in schools.

According to a report by Viet Hoa School, the incident occurred between 3:48 pm and 4:00 pm on September 22 during an English lesson in class 2A2.

During the lesson, a Russian teacher identified as P., who worked for a foreign language center partnering with the school to provide English classes, was filmed grabbing a student by the neck, lifting the child off the ground, and carrying him outside.

He also swung his arm, striking two other students.

The school’s report stated that four students were assaulted by the teacher.

The incident happened unexpectedly, leaving the Vietnamese teaching assistant unable to react in time.

After becoming aware of the incident, the homeroom teacher reported it to the principal.

The school subsequently reviewed security camera footage and invited the parents of the students involved to discuss the matter.

The foreign language center terminated P.’s employment contract effective September 23, one day after the incident.