As many as 1,000 pupils in the central coastal province of Ha Tinh have not returned to school as their parents have lost their jobs following the mass fish deaths caused by Formosa’s pollution incident.
Only three children in the class at Hai Ha Secondary School in Ha Tinh Province
The children can no longer go to school as the families cannot afford the school fees.
Parents of 1,000 pupils at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Ky Ha Commune refused to let their children go to school. Pham Thi Lan, a local said, "Our livelihood is the sea. But now the water is dirty, we can't sell any fish anymore so how can we afford school? I'll let our children go to school when the tuition fees are waived."
Headmaster of Ha Hai Secondary School Nguyen Minh Dao said, they had held meetings with parents and said that they would propose with local authorities to exempt tuition fees. At the meeting, the parents promised to let the children go to school but so far none had returned to school.
Mai Thi Tin, a local in Bac Ha Village, said, "I have four children. The schools promised to waive the tuition fees but we still need to pay fees for maintenance. We'll let the children go to school when the fees are exempted."
Mai Thi Tin said that she would let her four children go to school when the fees are exempted.
Many parents said they would keep the children home until every parent in the village agreed to let their children go to school.
Hoang Tuyet Mai, a teacher at Ha Hai Secondary School said, "We'll teach even if there are only three children in the class but it has really affected both the teachers and pupils mood and the quality of education. I think of the pupils as my children and this just makes me sad."
"I hope my friends will go to school soon. Without anyone to play with, seeing everyone at home, I also want to stay home," a pupil said.
Tran Minh Dao, headmaster of Ky Ha Secondary School also said he hoped the pupils could return to school soon. "We haven't asked for any fees yet and announced that we will reduce the tuition to children from affected areas. However, there aren't any official document so the parents haven’t agreed." he said.
The teachers have been going to each pupil's house to persuade their parents but only 20% of the pupils have returned to school.
Vice chairman of Ky Anh Commune Phan Huy Dinh said they would report to provincial authorities for solutions. However, he said the parents were violating the laws by refusing to allow their children to attend school.
