The People’s Committee of Cau Giay District decided to dismiss Ta Thi Bich Ngoc, principal of Nam Trung Yen Primary School, and vice principal Nguyen Thi Huong on Tuesday morning.

Authorities has decided to dismiss Ta Thi Bich Ngoc, principal of Nam Trung Yen Primary School. — Photo tienphong.vn

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, Duong Cao Thanh, after a meeting with Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ha Noi Nguyen Duc Chung and the city’s police department on Monday.

According to the police investigation, on December 1, 2016, a taxi carrying Ngoc and Huong ran into second grader Tran Chi Kien while he was playing in the school’s yard. Kien’s right leg was broken in the accident. Ngoc reportedly got out of the taxi and went to her room without saying a word to anyone. Huong took Kien to the school’s health clinic to check his injuries. The student was then taken to the Viet Nam National Hospital of Pediatrics for treatment. The taxi driver also left the scene at this time.

Later that morning, Tran Chi Dung, Kien’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 Dung.

Dung 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 Dung decided to transfer his son to the Viet Nam–Germany Hospital for further treatment.

Kien then told his father he had been hit by a car, noting he had seen Ngoc and another teacher sitting in the vehicle.

On December 12, Dung arrived at the school seeking clarity on the case, but Ngoc denied that any car had entered the schoolyard that morning. Dung remained suspicious and sent a string of letters to authorised agencies requesting an investigation into the case.

Two days later, Ngoc and Huong 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 Kien’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 Nguyen Duc Chung suspended Ngoc for the duration of the police investigation on February 6.

Some 18 teachers issued a letter on February 18, denouncing Ngoc 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.

Nguyen Thanh Tinh, deputy head of the Cau Giay District’s Education and Training Office, took charge of the school after Ngoc and Huong were fired.

Speaking at the meeting on Monday, Chung said Ngoc and Huong had not only violated the school’s regulations, which barred cars from entering the schoolyard, but had also lied about the accident.

Ngoc 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 Kien, he said.

“Ngoc and Huong 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./.

VNF/VNS