Cities, provinces urged to end cooperation with US ‘ghost school’

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has asked nine cities and provinces in the country to stop their cooperation with the US’s George Washington International School (GWIS).
Cities, provinces urged to end cooperation with US ‘ghost school’ ảnh 1Newton Grammar School in Co Nhue - Nam Cuong Urban Area in Bac Tu Liem district (Photo courtesy of the school)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has askednine cities and provinces in the country to stop their cooperation with the US’sGeorge Washington International School (GWIS).

Theselocalities include Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak,Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long.

The request was made after GWIS was confirmed tobe an unregistered school. A report issued by the MoET said GWIS did notperform any educational activities in the US or have any national orregional accreditation. 

Theministry also urged the education and training departments of these cities andprovinces to take suitable measures to ensure the interests of students who arepursuing education cooperation programmes with the US school, and report theresults to the ministry before April 24.

Earlier,on April 13, the MoET issued a dispatch asking the Hanoi Department ofEducation and Training to investigate the cooperation between Newton GrammarSchool based in Bac Tu Liem district and GWIS. 

Newton Grammar School has been told toend its relationship with the US school and work to guarantee the benefits ofstudents partaking in courses linked with GWIS. 
The investigation is also looking into the bilingual (Vietnamese –English) curriculum which follows the American high school education. It alsotouches upon the teaching activities at Newton Grammar School.

Finally, the responsibilities of stakeholdersworking with foreign institutes are being probed.

The ties between Newton GrammarSchool and GWIS came under scrutiny after American documentscalling Newton’s claims into question were posted online. Studentsenrolling in the programme supposedly study Mathematics, Science and Englishlanguage using the American curriculum supplied and taught by GWIS. Studentswill receive credits from both Newton Grammar School and GWIS.After collecting 24 credits, a student will obtain an American high schooldiploma.  

Although the set-up sounds attractive, the information GWISfounder Philip Nguyen provided to substantiate claims about the school’soperations in the United States are paltry, prompting an outcry fromparents.

Karen Tang, Assistant Culture Affairs Officer ofUS Embassy in Hanoi, said that GWIS had not appeared on any officialregistration of schools that they were able to find.-VNA
VNA

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