Authorities has decided to dismiss Tạ Thị Bích Ngọc, principal of Nam Trung Yên Primary School. — Photo tienphong.vn |
HÀ NỘI — The People’s Committee of Cầu Giấy District decided to dismiss Tạ Thị Bích Ngọc, principal of Nam Trung Yên Primary School, and vice principal Nguyễn Thị Hương on Tuesday morning.
The decision, based on serious violations of the teachers’ code of ethics by the accused, was finally signed by the chairman of the district committee, Dương Cao Thanh, after a meeting with Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hà Nội Nguyễn Đức Chung and the city’s police department on Monday.
According to the police investigation, on December 1, 2016, a taxi carrying Ngọc and Hương ran into second grader Trần Chí Kiên while he was playing in the school’s yard. Kiên’s right leg was broken in the accident. Ngọc reportedly got out of the taxi and went to her room without saying a word to anyone. Hương took Kiên to the school’s health clinic to check his injuries. The student was then taken to the Việt Nam National Hospital of Pediatrics for treatment. The taxi driver also left the scene at this time.
Later that morning, Trần Chí Dũng, Kiên’s father, received a phone call from a teacher telling him his son had broken his leg while playing in the schoolyard. The teacher did not mention the accident to Dũng.
Dũng rushed to the hospital, where doctors told him his son’s right femur was broken. The doctors had failed to properly treat the broken bone, so Dũng decided to transfer his son to the Việt Nam–Germany Hospital for further treatment.
Kiên then told his father he had been hit by a car, noting he had seen Ngọc and another teacher sitting in the vehicle.
On December 12, Dũng arrived at the school seeking clarity on the case, but Ngọc denied that any car had entered the schoolyard that morning. Dũng remained suspicious and sent a string of letters to authorised agencies requesting an investigation into the case.
Two days later, Ngọc and Hương presented a fake survey of the school’s teachers and students, claiming that all had unanimously agreed that no car had entered the schoolyard on the morning in question.
On December 21, the district’s Education and Training Office intervened, working with the school and Kiên’s family. The office then handed the matter over to the police for further investigation.
The district police launched an investigation into the case on December 30.
Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung suspended Ngọc for the duration of the police investigation on February 6.
Some 18 teachers issued a letter on February 18, denouncing Ngọc as a liar.
Finally, a meeting was held on Monday to give the conclusion about the case with attendance of Chung, the city’s education sector and the police.
Nguyễn Thanh Tịnh, deputy head of the Cầu Giấy District’s Education and Training Office, took charge of the school after Ngọc and Hương were fired.
Speaking at the meeting on Monday, Chung said Ngọc and Hương had not only violated the school’s regulations, which barred cars from entering the schoolyard, but had also lied about the accident.
Ngọc had, in fact, asked the security guard to open the school gates that morning to allow the car to enter.
“For the parents of students, this incident creates a sense of deep distrust of the school and the city’s and nation’s education sector,” he said.
Additionally, the actions of the accused had physically and mentally affected Kiên, he said.
“Ngọc and Hương do not deserve their positions,” Chung said.
Chung urged the education sector of the city to draw lessons from the case and directed relevant parties to hold a meeting to make any necessary corrections to education and training activities city-wide. — VNS