Foreign schools in danger

Bui Van Ga, deputy minister of Education and Training (MoET), has issued a dispatch to require Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to consider revoking licences in consultancy, enrolment and training activities of four foreign institutes and companies in the city.

They include Singapore-headquartered ERC Institute Vietnam, Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA), Sibme International Education and Singapore-based Melior Vietnam College.

Previously, the MoET issued administrative fine decisions to these foreign-invested schools.

It had slapped $10 million ($480) fine to Melior International College because the school organised college education programmes without authority’s permit.

ERC Vietnam, established as a branch of the private education provider in Asia ERC Institute, was also given a $10 million ($480) fine for unlawful activities in opening classes of master of business administration in September.

Similarly, IFA and Sibme got equivalent fines for their violations in organising education and training activities illegally.

However, these violators still continued consulting, enrolling and training foreign-linking programmes which were not allowed, according to an inspection by a representative of MoET in Ho Chi Minh City.

MoET subsequently directed Ho Chi Minh City to revoke violating foreign-invested schools’ licences in order to “ensure strict observation of legal regulation on education and training in Vietnam,” Ga said.

Simultaneously, Ga required the city push inspection and supervision of consulting, enrolling and training foreign-linking programmes of Singapore-based FTMS Global Academy offering Association of Chartered Certified Accountants training in Vietnam.