Data from the Ministry of Education and Training show that covid-related kindergarten closures have affected up to 4.4 million preschool children over the 2021-22 period when the COVID-19 outbreak worsened in Vietnam.
Speaking to the press, MOET Vice Minister Ngo Thi Minh emphasized that the Ministry and local authorities are doing all they can to prevent COVID-19 from disrupting the development of children. MOET is asking local governments to pay attention to private kindergarten institutions that are still reeling from long periods of shutdowns, to ensure children’s learning rights.
Vietnam Association for Non-public Preschool Education has been working continuously with Ministry of Education to support the Ministry’s proposal to the Government to support private kindergartens for their speedy recovery, by polling private kindergartens owners and teachers about their priority needs for financing and other support in re-starting their operations after long closure and raising awareness about available support to private kindergartens from the Government and other sources.
On 27th April 2022, the Government has approved a credit package of 1.4 trillion VND (60.9 million USD) to support private kindergartens and primary schools. Specifically:
- Total available funding from government to private kindergartens and primary schools: VND 1,400 billion (~USD 61 million)
- Maximum loan amount: 80 million VND (~ USD 3,500) per private kindergarten
- Maximum loan term: 36 months, lending interest rate: 3.3%/year
- No mortgage required
Loan conditions:
- Kindergartens properly established with legitimate license;
- Have had to close operations for at least 1 month due to covid.
- Have a business recovery plan, appraised by the Bank for Social Policies
- No bad debt incurred before January 23, 2020
