What did the person who picked up and dropped off children at Gateway School, where a student died in a car, say?
On the evening of August 9, Ms. Nguyen Bich Quy, a child care worker at Gateway School, said she worked with Gateway School twice and never had a contract.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Quy
According to the story, on the morning of August 6, after parking her motorbike at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, she got into the car of driver Doan Quy Phien. At around 6:40, the car picked up Long at Trung Yen Plaza Building, No. 1 Trung Hoa.
After picking up her grandchild from the family's maid, she put him in the car and let him sit in the second row from the back. At around 7:20, she opened both doors for the students to get off; because she was busy and focused on the two crying children getting off, Mrs. Quy pulled the door and forgot Long in the car.
“At that time, I couldn't control it and didn't count the number of children.”
After leading the children in, she should have taken the two crying children to the second floor and finished the job, but the children kept clinging and crying so Mrs. Quy had to stay to feed them and then lead them straight to class.After writing and signing the handover of all 13 children (including Long) in the morning, Mrs. Quy went home.
According to Ms. Quy, the school did not check or count the number of students she signed. Only when she entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher took attendance and saw how much was missing did she report to the school board.
At 4:30 pm the same day, she went to school to pick up and take the students home. 3 children were picked up by their parents that day, so according to Mrs. Quy's calculation, there were 10 children left but she only saw 9 children.Missing Long.
As soon as she opened the car door, the students cried out that someone had died. "At that moment, my legs and arms were shaking, I couldn't do anything. A parent nearby ran to carry Long to the school's medical room."
Driver Phien and Mrs. Quy took all the children to school and then returned. Afterwards, Mrs. Quy and Mr. Phien were detained by the police for questioning and investigation.
Ms. Quy said that she had previously only worked as a janitor at a learning center and had never received any training in child management or transportation. She had never had any contract or terms with the school or the bus company.
During the 2 days of the so-called probationary period, the incident occurred. Ms. Quy said that last year she had worked for Gateway School in the same job for 1 month, with a salary of 2.8 million VND and had not signed a contract. |
| The residence of Mrs. Bich Quy and her husband in Dich Vong ward. Photo: Pham Hai |
Since the incident, the school has only contacted Ms. Quy’s husband to introduce the hiring of a lawyer. The bus company has requested a resume to make a contract. However, the family, represented by Ms. Quy’s husband, has not provided it for the bus company to do so.
“I am very sad about what happened because he was so young. Long was also very well-behaved. Meanwhile, some information said that I beat him. Why would I beat him? I am also very sad about his death, I can’t eat well, and I can’t sleep,” said Mrs. Quy.
Mrs. Quy added: When she opened the door, she saw the baby lying with his legs straight, perpendicular to the car body, right behind the driver's seat.
Ms. Quy said that no matter what, her responsibility is still the biggest, because she is in charge of picking up and dropping off, while Mr. Phien's main job is still driving.
The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Public Security to direct relevant units to urgently investigate and clarify the cause and responsibility of each individual and organization involved in the incident that caused the child's death, and handle it strictly according to the law; the Ministry of Education and Training to direct the strengthening of measures to ensure school security and safety; provide guidance and specific regulations on student pick-up and drop-off services, ensuring quality and absolute safety for the children, and not allowing similar incidents to recur.
