Most preschool concerns are best raised in stages: first a calm, specific conversation with the homeroom teacher, then, if nothing changes, a meeting with the campus manager, and only after that a formal written complaint following the school's own procedure. The exception is anything involving your child's safety, such as an unexplained injury or rough handling, which should go straight to the campus manager the same day.
Families new to Vietnam often hesitate to complain at all, unsure how it will be received or worried that their child will be treated differently. Others, used to formal systems at home, go straight to writing to head office about something a teacher could have solved in a minute. Both approaches tend to leave the problem in place. This guide sets out how to judge the level a concern belongs at, how to describe it so it can be acted on, what to put in writing, and what outside options exist if the school does not respond.
Matching the concern to the right level
Not every problem needs the same response. Starting at the right level saves time and keeps relationships workable.
| Kind of concern | Examples | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Day-to-day care | Wrong clothes after water play, a missed nap, lunchbox not returned | A quick word or message to the homeroom teacher |
| Repeated care issues | The same problem several times after you have mentioned it | A short meeting with the homeroom teacher, then the campus manager if it continues |
| Relationships and behaviour | Your child is often hurt or upset by another child; a teacher's approach to discipline worries you | An individual meeting with the teacher; involve the campus manager if needed |
| Communication and administration | Fees charged differently from the agreement, notices not received, records wrong | The campus office, in writing |
| Safety and safeguarding | An unexplained injury, rough handling, a child left unsupervised, being collected by the wrong person | The campus manager immediately, the same day, followed by a written account |
If you are not sure which row a concern belongs to, start one level higher than you think. A teacher will not mind a manager knowing about a small matter, but a manager who finds out late about a serious one has less room to act.
Raising it with the teacher
Most concerns end here, if the first conversation is handled well. The aim is a shared understanding and an agreed change, not an apology.
- Choose the moment. Drop-off and pick-up are busy and public. Ask for five minutes at a quieter time, or send a short message asking when you can talk.
- Describe what you observed, not your conclusion. "She came home with a bruise on her arm on Tuesday and Thursday" opens a conversation; "She is not being watched properly" closes one.
- Ask what the teacher saw. She may know something you do not, such as a fall at outdoor play that was recorded in the report you missed.
- Say what you would like to happen. Teachers can act on "Could you let me know on the day if she has a fall?" far more easily than on general unhappiness.
- Agree a check-in. "Shall we see how the next two weeks go and talk again?" gives both sides a clear frame.
- Write a two-line summary afterwards. A brief message confirming what was agreed protects everyone if the matter comes back later.
- Give it time to work. A change in routine, such as a teacher checking your child's clothes after water play, may take a week or two to become habit, especially if several staff share the class.
Keep in mind that a homeroom teacher can change what happens in her classroom, but not school policy, staffing or fees. If your concern is about something she cannot control, say so politely and ask who you should speak to next.
Keeping a simple record from the start
Whatever level a concern starts at, a light record kept from the first occurrence makes every later step easier. It does not need to be elaborate: a note on your phone with the date, what you noticed, who you spoke to and what was said. If the matter resolves after one conversation, the note costs you nothing. If it does not, you will have a clear account instead of a vague sense that "this has been happening for a while".
Records also help you judge fairly. Parents who write things down sometimes discover that a problem that felt constant actually happened twice in a month, or that it clusters on particular days, for example when a regular teacher is absent. That is useful information for the school, which can then look at staffing or routines on those days rather than at the whole classroom.
Save the relevant messages from the parent app or email as you go, since app histories can be lost when a child changes class. Keep any notes factual and private; they are for your own clarity and, if needed, for the school, not for sharing with other parents.
Taking it to the campus manager
Go to the campus manager, sometimes called the principal or head of campus, when a concern continues after you have raised it with the teacher, when it involves a teacher's own conduct, when it concerns safety, or when it is about school policy rather than one classroom. It is not disloyal to the teacher to do so. Managers are responsible for staff, training and the routines that sit behind daily care, and many problems that look like one person's failing are really gaps in a routine.
Prepare as you would for any important meeting. Bring dates, what happened on each occasion, what you have already discussed with the teacher and what was agreed. If language is a barrier, ask for a bilingual staff member to join, or bring someone you trust who speaks both languages, telling the school beforehand.
In the meeting, ask how the school will look into the matter and when it will come back to you. A good response usually includes speaking to the staff involved, checking records such as incident notes, and explaining what will change. You may not be told everything, for example about any action taken regarding an individual staff member, but you should be told what the school is doing to prevent the problem from recurring. Ask for a short written follow-up if the matter is serious.
What to put in a written complaint
If meetings have not resolved the matter, or if it is serious enough to need a formal record, follow the school's written complaints procedure. It is usually described in the parent handbook or the enrolment agreement; if you cannot find it, ask the office to send it to you. A clear written complaint usually contains:
- Your name, your child's name, class and campus, and how you would like to be contacted.
- A factual account of what happened, with dates and times, in the order things occurred.
- What you have already done: who you spoke to, when, and what was said or agreed.
- Why the response so far has not resolved the matter.
- What you are asking for, for example an investigation, a change in practice, a meeting with senior staff, a refund under the terms of the agreement, or a written explanation.
- Copies or descriptions of supporting material: messages, photos of an injury, the relevant clause of the agreement.
Keep the tone factual and the length manageable; one or two pages is plenty. Write in English if that is your strongest language, and ask the school whether it will provide a translation for staff who need one. Keep a copy, note the date you sent it, and ask for confirmation that it was received.
Safety concerns: when not to wait
Some situations call for immediate action rather than a graded approach. If your child has an injury that the school has not explained, if you see or are told about a staff member handling children roughly, if a child was left without supervision or released to someone not on the collection list, raise it with the campus manager on the same day, in person or by phone, and follow up in writing.
In these situations, write down what you saw or what your child said as soon as you can, using your child's own words rather than a summary. If there is a visible injury, take dated photos and consider having your child checked by a doctor, who can record what they find. Avoid questioning your child repeatedly or suggesting what might have happened, because young children's accounts can change in response to leading questions; let them tell you in their own way and note it down.
Vietnam's Law on Children, adopted in 2016, sets out children's rights to protection from abuse and violence, and the preschool charter issued by the Ministry of Education and Training sets duties for schools and staff. If you believe a child is at risk and the school does not act, the local education authorities and the police can be contacted. In an emergency, your child's safety comes before any internal procedure.
Ways a complaint goes wrong, and how to avoid them
Posting in public first. A complaint shared in a class chat group or on social media before the school has had a chance to respond puts staff on the defensive, can identify other children and may breach the school's rules and, in some cases, the law. It also makes a quiet resolution much harder. Use public channels, if at all, only after the formal routes have failed, and stick to facts.
Mixing many issues together. A long message that combines a lunch complaint, a fee dispute and a worry about a teacher's manner rarely gets a clear answer to any of them. Separate the issues and raise each with the person who can solve it.
Describing other children. If another child is involved, describe what happened to your child rather than labelling the other child. The school cannot discuss another family's child with you, and accusations make it harder for staff to manage the situation fairly.
Expecting a decision on the spot. Teachers and managers often need to check records or speak to colleagues before responding. Agree a reasonable time for an answer, and follow up if it passes.
Letting it drift. The opposite mistake is common too. Families who mention something once, see no change and say nothing more often end up withdrawing their child months later, when an earlier, firmer conversation might have fixed it.
If the school does not respond
When a written complaint goes unanswered, or the answer does not address the problem, you have several options. Within the school, ask whether there is a level above the campus, such as a head office or the owner of the company that runs the school, and send your complaint there with a copy of the earlier correspondence. Larger school groups usually have someone responsible for quality or parent relations.
Outside the school, preschools in Vietnam operate under licences issued and supervised by education authorities, and serious concerns about safety, care standards or licensing can be raised with them. Since the reorganisation of local government in 2025, which removed the district level, the details of which office handles what have changed in Ho Chi Minh City, so ask a Vietnamese-speaking friend or a professional adviser to help identify the right authority. For disputes about fees or contract terms, the enrolment agreement itself and Vietnam's consumer protection law are the starting points, and a lawyer can advise on your position.
Many families decide, after a concern has been handled poorly, that a change of school is the right answer. That is a legitimate decision. If you take it, check the notice and refund terms in your agreement first, and leave as calmly as you can; young children take their cue from how the adults around them handle endings.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Will my child be treated differently if I complain?
In a well-run school, no, and most teachers respond better to clear, respectful concerns than to silence followed by sudden withdrawal. If you notice any change in how your child is treated after raising a concern, mention it to the campus manager straight away, since retaliation of any kind is a serious matter.
Should I complain in Vietnamese or English?
Use the language in which you can describe events most accurately. A written complaint in clear English is better than one in uncertain Vietnamese. Ask the school to confirm that the people handling it will receive a translation, and ask for the reply in a language you understand.
Can I ask to see CCTV footage from the classroom?
Some schools have cameras and some offer parents viewing access, while others restrict footage to staff and authorities for privacy reasons. Ask what the school's policy is. If there is a serious incident, the school may review footage itself and share its findings, and authorities can request it if they investigate.
How long should a preschool take to respond to a written complaint?
There is no single rule; the school's own procedure may set a timeframe. For most matters, an acknowledgement within a few working days and a substantive response within a couple of weeks is a reasonable expectation. Safety concerns should be acted on immediately, even if a written response follows later.
Is it appropriate to involve other parents in a complaint?
If several families have experienced the same issue, a joint concern can carry weight, particularly about policy or facilities. Keep it factual and focused on the issue, not on individual staff. For matters involving your own child alone, raise them yourself, since other parents' involvement can complicate a sensitive situation.
What should I do if my child says a teacher hurt them?
Listen calmly, let your child tell you in their own words and write it down without adding to it. Check for injuries, and seek a doctor's advice if there are any. Contact the campus manager the same day. Avoid questioning your child repeatedly, and do not confront the teacher yourself.