Nghe An Provincial People's Committee directs strict handling of acts of threatening and preventing students from going to school.

The Provincial People's Committee has just sent an official dispatch to the Department of Education and Training, the District Party Committee, the People's Committee of Anh Son District, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee and the Propaganda Department of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee regarding the merger of schools in Lang Son commune, Anh Son district.

The school merger aims to focus investment and improve the quality of education. Photo: Tien Hung.

The document stated that, in the face of the situation where some 9th grade students in Lang Son commune (Anh Son) did not come to school to attend the Opening Ceremony and study at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, after listening to the report of Anh Son district and grasping the specific situation, the People's Committee of Nghe An province commented:

Assign the People's Committee of Anh Son district to continue directing the Party Committee, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and political and social organizations in Lang Son commune and related units to propagate and mobilize students to go to school according to the approved plan for the 2022-2023 school year.

Class time of 8th grade students at Lang Son Secondary School.

In particular, students in grades 6, 7 and 8 study at Lang Son Secondary School; students in grade 9 study at Khai Son Secondary School to contribute to improving the quality of education and ensuring security and order in the area.

Besides, it is necessary to receive recommendations and feedback from people and parents to review and re-evaluate the implementation of the school and class network planning project that has been issued in Anh Son district.

At the same time, resolutely direct and strictly handle organizations and individuals who obstruct, threaten, or prohibit students from going to school in accordance with the law.

The document also assigned the Department of Education and Training to actively coordinate, direct and guide the People's Committee of Anh Son district to successfully implement the targets, goals, and solutions to carry out the tasks of the new school year 2022 - 2023.

Previously, for many days, hundreds of people gathered in front of the gate of Khai Lang Secondary School, Campus 2, located in Lang Son Commune, Anh Son District, to protest the school merger. Many students were prevented from entering the classroom to study. Therefore, in the past few days, only a small number of students were allowed to go to school.

After this incident, the People's Committee of Anh Son district organized a dialogue with the people of Lang Son commune. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long and the Director of the Department of Education and Training also went directly to the locality to grasp the situation and discuss solutions to bring students back to school soon. On September 9, teacher Le Dinh Ha - principal of Khai Lang Secondary School said: This morning, 32 students in grades 6, 7, 8 and 8 students in grade 9 came to school.

The leaders of Anh Son district said that the merger of Lang Son Secondary School and Khai Son Secondary School was implemented by the People's Committee of Anh Son district from the 2018-2019 school year, into Khai Lang Secondary School (located in Khai Son commune). The new school is more than 4 km away from the old Lang Son Secondary School. Currently, the project has been approved and implemented, but after 4 years of study, only grade 9 has transferred to the main Khai Lang Secondary School. Grades 6, 7, and 8 of Lang Son commune still study at the second facility.

According to the schedule, at the beginning of this school year, all grades 6, 7, and 8 will be transferred to the new school. However, upon receiving the information, many households simultaneously sent letters of protest because they thought the distance was too far and the facilities were not guaranteed. Realizing that some people still did not agree, on July 15, the Standing Committee of Anh Son District Party Committee issued a notice on the decision not to merge the remaining grades of Lang Son school to Khai Son school in the 2022-2023 school year. However, many people were still dissatisfied, they continued to not send their children to school to put pressure, demanding the cancellation of the school merger project issued 4 years ago.