VietNamNet Bridge – The race for “star” primary schools has become quite heated. VietNamNet

July 31 is the deadline for HCM City primary schools to reveal their enrollment lists. From now to the end of the month, parents will sprint to grab seats for their children at star schools.

On July 22, an ad appeared on RV website: “We are teachers and officials. We have seats to study at famous schools in the city, including L school in District 3, N school in District 1, L school in District 1 and L School in Phu Nhuan District. Since we do not have children or relatives who want to study at the schools in the 2010-2011 school year, we have decided to sell the seats. If you want the seats, pls contact us at “tranvan…@yahoo.com”.

Similar ads can be seen on many other websites: “A seat at C primary school is on offer”, “We have a seat at T primary school, the city’s most famous primary school, please contact . . .”

A Saigon Tiep Thi reporter contacted the people who placed the ads. The journalist posed as a parent looking for a seat at a school in District 1 or 3 and the man who the reporter replied: “Only two seats left at N school, which are $2000 each. The seats have been reserved for district officials. However, since they do not have children entering first grade this year, they decided to sell the seats.”

The man stressed that, right after payment is made, the ‘seller’ will follow necessary procedures to register the seat for the buyer.

The seats are for elite schools and they are very expensive, because parents all want to send their children to such institutions, so that their kids can enjoy a good learning environment.

The limited number of famous schools means not enough seats for everyone who wants to enroll. Luong Dinh Cua School has 10 first grade classes this year, and has enrolled enough students already. The school priorises children of officials in the education sector and then children who have ho khau book (residence certificates). If the school lacks students, it will then accept students who live in other districts.

Other good primary schools are now overloaded because of high registration. N primary school has 40 seats left, but received over 300 applications.

Pay $6000 for an elite school

While a lot of parents decide to purchase the seats on the Internet, other parents tried a different method.

In theory, primary schools always first accept students who live in the same district as the school. The best way to enroll in famous schools is to obtain a ho khau which certifies that children live in a certain district.

Tran Bich, a mother in District 8 of HCM City, was told that she can get a ho khau for $4000. If she wants to enroll in H school in District 1, she has to pay $10,000, if she will take T school, she must pay $6000. All quoted sums include the fee to obtain a ho khau and procedures to enroll in the schools.

“They told me to pay $2000 in advance, however, I do not know if they can help,” she worried.

Source: Sai gon tiep thi