HCM CITY  —  As public primary schools and kindergartens in HCM City closed down last Saturday for the Tết holiday, nine days ahead of Tết, their parents have been forced to look for babysitters to take care of them during the period.

N. Hà, a resident in HCM City’s Bình Tân District, said she and her husband would begin their Tết holiday just two days before the Lunar New Year, while their two children began their holiday a week early. She said she could not bring her children to her office because she is too busy meeting customers.

Trương Tùng Phương, who works for a communications firm in District 3, said his eldest son, a third-grade pupil, was given a handphone to play with so that he would not disturb his mum at her office. But Phương had to send their younger one-year old child to a private kindergarten, which charged him VNĐ300,000 per day. However, he cried a lot and ate less every day.

“I wanted the kindergarten to stay open even if we have to pay higher fees, because it is much better for children to receive care from familiar kindergartens and babysitters,” said Phương.

Better services

Unlike public kindergartens and primary schools which have their Tết holiday scheduled by the HCM City Department of Education and Training, most private kindergartens maintain their services until the last days of the lunar year.

Ph. Lan, a resident in HCM City’s Tân Bình District, said her kid’s kindergarten was open until the 25th day of the lunar year (January 30). After that date, parents who want babysitters’ service (final days of the last month of the 2018 lunar year) have to pay higher fee.

A manager of a kindergarten in a suburban district in HCM City said that her kindergarten would receive complaints if it closed on the schedule set by the HCM City Department of Education and Training.

Parents would send their kids to other facilities, she said.

“Our kindergarten maintains operation until the 26^th day of the lunar year. From the 27th day, parents have to pay an additional fee of VNĐ160,000 per day, which will be used to buy Tết gifts for babysitters at the school,” said the manager.

In addition to kindergartens, training centres in HCM City have opened childcare services until the 28th or 30th day of the lunar year.

Parents have to pay from VNĐ50,000 to VNĐ80,000 per day for one child at the centres, which provide meals and playgrounds for children, and VNĐ90,000 to VNĐ150,000 per day at the centres that help children review their lessons. — VNS