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Hanoi parents have been finding it difficult, and sometimes expensive, to find good quality primary education for their children.
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| Rising demand for a “good education” |
This situation is a result of rising demand along with a huge discrepancy of the quality of different teaching institutions.
Everyone wants the best for their kids
Even though the municipal Department of Education and Training has just issued a regulation guiding enrollment for 1st grade, many parents started preparing for the application process a month early.
Mrs. L.T.L, whose child is to enter primary school this year, said, “There is only one high-quality primary school in Dong Da District. But it is located in a different ward. So in order to get my child admitted, we’ll have to apply much earlier.”
She added that application fees at the school are considerably higher than in years past, due to overcrowding.
Other parents turn to online forums to discuss the differences between schools, application fees and the best way to gain admittance.
Mrs. L.Q.H of Long Bien District is an experienced “broker”. It’s her job to help parents get the best education opportunities for their children, for a fee. She says that the best strategy to get into a good school is careful planning (including financial planning).
“Recently some parents asked for help to get their children into a high-quality primary school in Hai Ba Trung District. Because demand is so high, application fees have risen to over USD1,000, and the price will probably continue to go up,” she said.
One parent from Hoang Mai District, when asked why it is necessary to go through a “broker” instead of directly applying to a school, said, “In order to get your children enrolled in a good school you need money, authority and connections. We do not have the last two. So we have to go to brokers for help.”
Psychology of school selection
L.K.T., a teacher at a primary school in Dong Da District said, “Wanting a quality education for your children is normal. All parents want their children to study at a prestigious school. But the demand is causing a rush on certain institutions.”
However, in this rush, parents have perhaps put too much importance on the schools themselves, forgetting that teachers are ultimately responsible for education, he noted.
According to the principal, the parents themselves have determined what constitutes a high-quality school, as there have been no official classifications.
He added that schools are just one factor in a child’s education; the attention and care of the family is also an important factor.
Pham Xuan Tien, Director of the department’s Primary Education Office, said that there are qualified teachers in inner-city schools as well as those in outlying districts. Every school has good teachers, he added.
Many experts suggest that there should be a focus on consistent quality of teachers at all schools in order to calm this rush on certain institutions. This may encourage parents to send their children to schools in their neighborhoods.
