International school closes, accused of embezzling 14 billion VND in tuition fees.

The school had its premises reclaimed and was closed down right at the beginning of the new school year.

Mr. Thai Viet Tuong, Director of Education and Training of Quang Nam province, confirmed the information that parents accused Green Shoots International School in Hoi An city of collecting over 14 billion VND in tuition fees for the new school year, then announcing its closure, with the school owner having returned to his home country. The Department has also conducted an investigation and reported the relevant information to the Provincial People's Committee.
Green Shoots International Primary, Secondary, and High School (formerly Green Shoots International School), owned by Green Shoots Vietnam Education Co., Ltd., is located on Cua Dai Street, Cam Chau Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province. The school was licensed by the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee in 2014 and renamed in 2019. Ms. Catherine Clare McKinley (52 years old, British nationality) is the director; Ms. Sue Lyn Ryan (55 years old, Australian nationality) is the legal representative of Green Shoots Education Co., Ltd.; and Ms. Thai Thi Quyen was appointed Principal by the Quang Nam Department of Education and Training on January 12, 2022.
According to its operating license, the school teaches the British national curriculum (IPC, IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate program (IBD and IBDP).
In its early stages, most of the school's students were preschool and primary school age, children of foreign nationals living and working in Hoi An and some nearby localities.
By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the school had enrolled 95 students, including 11 Vietnamese students, while the majority of the remaining students had foreign parents. The school's staff, including teachers and employees, consisted of 43 people.
For the 2023-2024 school year, the school is recruiting students for all levels, from kindergarten, primary school, secondary school to high school.

The school's equipment and furniture were moved out to clear the space.

According to information from parents, the school was scheduled to start on August 22nd. However, on August 8th, parents unexpectedly received an email from Ms. Catherine Clare McKinley informing them that all students had been transferred to an international school in Da Nang . Simultaneously, Ms. Catherine was no longer running Green Shoots School.
In the email, Catherine did not explain the reasons or discuss how the students would study at the Da Nang International School, or the tuition fees.
On August 14th, parents of students from Chồi Xanh International Primary, Secondary, and High School sent emails to the international school in Da Nang, as Ms. Catherine had mentioned in her email, to understand the situation and negotiate about their children's academic program. However, the school refused to accept students from Chồi Xanh International Primary, Secondary, and High School because the school does not collect tuition fees from Chồi Xanh students.
Some parents added that when collecting tuition fees, the Green Bud International Primary, Secondary, and High School said they would rent campuses at an international school in Da Nang, so parents agreed and paid the tuition for their children.
Upon contacting the school, parents were surprised to find that the landowner had reclaimed the school grounds, and the school had dismantled its signage, equipment, and moved all furniture and supplies outdoors. The school owner had terminated contracts with the teachers and staff. Parents were unable to contact any member of the school's management team to take responsibility or offer an explanation. Catherine Clare McKinley and Sue Lyn Ryan had returned to their home country. The school principal is Vietnamese, but has virtually no say or influence over the school's operations.
Parents also stated that tuition fees here range from 350-400 million VND per year, payable monthly or quarterly. Approximately one-third of the parents have already paid the tuition for the 2023-2024 school year, with many having paid around 100 million VND at the beginning of the new school year. The total amount of tuition fees they have paid to this international school before the 2023-2024 school year is estimated at around 14 billion VND.

Regarding the above information, the Department of Education and Training of Quang Nam province stated that they have only heard information from parents and the public, and have not received any official report. The payment of tuition fees is an agreement and contribution between parents and the school. It is now very difficult for parents to get back the tuition fees they have paid. The school closed without notice. The Department of Education and Training does not know the exact amount of tuition fees parents have paid to this school.
The reason for the sudden closure of Chồi Xanh school was explained as the expiration of the lease agreement, resulting in the repossession of the facilities and the return of the teaching premises.

The lease on the school premises has expired, the landlord has reclaimed the land, and renovations are underway.

Mr. Thai Viet Tuong, Director of the Quang Nam Department of Education and Training, said that after receiving feedback from parents, the Department worked with the parents of the students and the group of foreign teachers at the school.
However, Ms. Thai Thi Quyen, the principal of Green Bud International School, is nominally the principal but has no decision-making authority and cannot deeply interfere in the school's operations.
The Department has provided a list of private schools in the area with similar training programs to Green Bud International School for parents to refer to and choose from if they wish to transfer their children to another school. Currently, most of the school's students have transferred to other schools with similar programs to continue their studies.
The Department has also reported the incident to the Provincial People's Committee. At the same time, it has recommended that the province send a written request to the British Embassy in Vietnam to invite Ms. Catherine Clare McKinley back to Vietnam to resolve the school's issues. Ms. Catherine Clare McKinley's departure from her home country and her failure to stay in Vietnam to address these problems has had many negative consequences.
It has been reported that parents of students at Green Bud International Primary, Secondary, and High School have filed a complaint with the police accusing individuals from Green Bud Vietnam Education Co., Ltd. of fraudulently misappropriating tuition fees for the 2023-2024 school year.

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