Teachers at international schools in Vietnam say they face being left out of pocket and missing out on holidays because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Staff have been told to make up hours lost because of term-time closures and have no choice but to comply, according to aggrieved teachers.
Strict precautions mean Vietnam, which has a border with China, the source of the outbreak, has had only 16 cases of coronavirus since the Covid-19 outbreak, and no deaths.
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But teachers at international schools across the country are paying the price.
One British teacher contacted Tes this week to say they are being forced to work longer days and face losing holiday time.
The teacher said: “The last teaching day was around 22nd January then the students were off for the lunar new year. Teachers are being told they have got to work some of their holidays and they will not be reimbursed for the cost of holidays away that they have booked and paid for.
“When students come back the teachers will be expected to deliver lessons. The schools are putting the fee-payer first and not the teachers, who are the people in the front line.
“There are international schools here with more than 1,000 pupils, and they would have 100 staff in total. I know of teachers in at least four other schools in Hanoi and schools in other parts of the country who have been affected.
“Schools in Vietnam have been closed for students and for ESL language teachers for staff as well. International schools in Hanoi were given permission to open but were to ask parents. A large majority of parents at many schools insisted students not go back (even exam grade students).
“Every week since the start of February, staff are left on the edge of their seat on a Thursday and Friday and sometimes a Sunday to find out if their school will be open that week.”
Last month, Tes highlighted British teachers employed by international schools in China who have returned to the UK to evade the virus are being expected to work online through the night, because of the time zone difference between China and the UK.
In Vietnam, teachers are also having to work online. “We’ve been using various online platforms with the ability to meet via large groups, make videos, mark assignments online, etc,” one teacher said.
“Some international schools have decided that they need to recover time from the staff due to parents’ demands. Staff are being asked to work longer days and give up upcoming holidays.
“This is not something we are able to take action about - it’s a country where we are not allowed to have a say on what should be done.
“A large number of teachers are finding themselves out of pocket in order to work more days and more hours.
“I’m facing a loss of £600 to £700 and I know people who face losing more than that.
“For example, they have paid for holidays and they will lose that money because insurance will not cover the cancellations. And there’s little hope on the horizon at the moment of things calming down.”
