Citizens' complaints sent to the Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training and some agencies in the area stated that, for their children to be classified into selected classes, classes with good teachers, each parent must pay from 20-40 million VND, leading to many classes having oversized class sizes.
However, the inspection results from Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training and reports from the school show that the class size exceeding regulations is not related to "running classes" but stems from students registering according to subject combinations.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Thieu Anh Duong - Principal of Ham Rong High School said that the 2018 general education program allows students to choose subject combinations suitable for their abilities, qualities and career orientation. The school has researched, discussed many times and developed a class arrangement plan based on university entrance exam blocks, the teacher force situation and the reality of students. Students are classified according to registered aspirations, there is absolutely no collection of money or "buying and selling tuition slots".
Regarding the above content, Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training has established a working group to work with Ham Rong High School. According to the inspection team, through working with the Board of Directors, teachers and parents' representative board, no one confirmed information about "running classes" or collecting money as reflected.
Regarding class size, the school has 42 classes with 1,871 students, of which some classes exceed the regulation by 45 students according to Circular 32/2020/TT-BGDĐT: 2023–2024 school year: 2 classes exceed the number of students (10B1: 50 students; 10B2: 49 students); 2024–2025 school year: 6 classes exceed the number of students, the highest is 51 students; 2025–2026 school year: 5 classes exceed the number of students, the highest is 54 students.
The inspection team of Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training said that the reason for the uneven number of students is that students register according to different subject combinations, leading to different numbers of students in each class. This is the objective reality of the implementation of the new program, not the result of "running classes" or illegally collecting money.
On the school's side, Mr. Thieu Anh Duong affirmed that the class arrangement is carried out publicly, transparently, in accordance with regulations, ensuring the right of choice of students, in accordance with the general education orientation of 2018 and the high school graduation exam as well as university admission.
In addition to the content of spending money on "running classes", Mr. Thieu Anh Duong - Principal of Ham Rong High School is also accused of many other contents related to finance and school management activities.
