Nghe An School Merger Dispute: Some Students Return After Week-Long Boycott

In Nghe An province, Vietnam, some parents who had kept their children home for over a week in protest of a school merger have allowed them to return to classes as of September 14. The move comes after school officials and local authorities engaged in persuasion efforts with parents of the Tien Son branch school. According to Dau Viet Trieu, principal of Quynh Tam Primary School, 28 out of 166 students from the Tien Son branch attended classes on the morning of September 14. Trieu stated that while many parents have largely agreed to send their children back, a number still hold firm to their stance of keeping them home in hopes of preserving the branch school. He noted that heavy rain limited the number of students attending on the first day back but expressed confidence that more would return the following day. Previously, nearly 150 parents had boycotted classes. The protest stemmed from the decision to merge the Tien Son branch school, which comprises five classes and 166 students, into the main campus and another branch of Quynh Tam Primary School. The new locations are situated approximately 6-7 kilometers away from the original site. Parents voiced concerns about the increased distance, citing difficulties in transportation and safety during the rainy season. During a dialogue with parents on September 11, Nguyen Van Khoa, Director of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, explained that the Tien Son branch school, built in 1998, has severely deteriorated infrastructure and poses safety risks. He emphasized that the merger aims to provide students with the best possible learning conditions. The receiving campuses, in contrast, are equipped with modern facilities, including 32 classrooms and functional rooms per site, along with boarding facilities. Additionally, the commune broke ground on a road connecting Tien Son with Thon 10 in late August, with an investment of nearly VND 20 billion (approximately $800,000), to shorten travel times and facilitate student pick-up and drop-off. Quynh Tam Primary School has prepared make-up lesson plans for students who missed classes. Local authorities are also considering providing transportation subsidies and free school supplies and learning materials in the initial period to alleviate financial pressure on families.