Hundreds of parents kept their children home from school to protest the school merger.

In Thanh Hoa, hundreds of parents of students at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School are keeping their children home from school to protest the school merger.

On the afternoon of March 27th, most parents of students at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School (Trieu Son town, Trieu Son district) kept their children home. Afterwards, they gathered at the school gate to protest the merger of this school with Le Van Tam Primary School (formerly Minh Chau commune, now Trieu Son town).

"The new location is nearly 3 km further from the current school, causing many difficulties for parents in dropping off and picking up their children," said a parent whose child is in 4th grade.

According to the parents, they only recently learned about the upcoming merger of the two schools, with the new school expected to be located at the current Le Van Tam Primary School.

Many parents expressed concern that their children, who commute to school by bicycle, might not be safe traveling an additional nearly 3 km from their old school. Many students have parents who work far from home, and relying on grandparents for transportation would be very difficult and inconvenient.

A large number of parents gathered, holding banners in protest in front of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School. Photo: Lam Son — Parents gathered in front of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School on the afternoon of March 27. Photo: *Lam Son*

Mr. Pham Trong Dung, Principal of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School, said that he has instructed homeroom teachers to persuade parents to send their children to school to avoid disrupting their studies. The school is also urging parents to avoid large gatherings that could cause security and order problems.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Can, Head of the Education and Training Department of Trieu Son District, Trieu Son town has three primary schools. This number is large compared to the town's area, causing difficulties in management, investment in facilities, and improving the quality of teaching. Therefore, the town proposes merging Nguyen Ba Ngoc and Le Van Tam primary schools into one, with the headquarters located at Le Van Tam school. After the merger, students will travel within a radius of no more than 2 km.

Mr. Can acknowledged that the merger was necessary, but stated that the town had only submitted a proposal, and only after the Provincial People's Committee approved it could a specific plan be drawn up and public opinion sought.

"The merger will be carried out according to a rational plan for student placement, creating the most favorable conditions for students," Mr. Can said.

According to Pham Van Thuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trieu Son town, Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School has a small area, while Le Van Tam Primary School has a campus and infrastructure that can accommodate about 20 classes. In addition, Kim Dong Primary School has about 30 classes and can accommodate students from Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School, which is not too far away.

According to Mr. Thuong, on March 28th, the People's Committee of the town will send invitations to all parents of students at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School to come to the headquarters for a dialogue to find a solution to the incident.