In central Vietnam’s Da Nang City, frustrated parents are speaking out against what they claim to be a brazen case of false advertising.

Enticed by promises of an 'American school' experience complete with an on-site study abroad program, and coaxed into paying annual tuition fees of almost US$4,000, families discovered too late that they had enrolled their children in nothing more than a regular English center.

The Da Nang Department of Education and Training is actively investigating complaints from those parents whose children have been studying at Thien Lap Nhan English Center, headquartered at 177 Hai Phong Street, Thanh Khe District.

T., whose child holds Australian citizenship, explained that her family returned to Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2021 to 2023, despite the modest sign outside identifying the location as 'Thien Lap Nhan English Center,' word-of-mouth led T. to believe it was an 'American school,' where she enrolled her child.

T. claimed to have been told that the center follows a Prinberk Academy U.S.-based curriculum and offers an 'on-site study abroad' program.

She paid a tuition fee of nearly VND100 million ($3,934) annually, with her child attending two daily classes, Monday through Friday.

T. chose this program because she believed Prinberk Academy would provide transcripts and certificates enabling their child to continue their education in Australia.

However, when her family attempted to transfer her child to another school in 2023, the requested transcript never materialized.

After a year, she filed a formal complaint with the Da Nang education department in August 2024, seeking clarification on the center’s role.

In September, departmental inspectors met with Truong Van Thien Tu, the center’s director, and concluded that the center was only licensed to provide English language instruction for children.

Tu also confirmed that Thien Lap Nhan had no affiliation with Prinberk Academy.

Distraught, T. realized the person she had trusted to manage her child’s academic records was merely an employee at the English center.

“My biggest mistake was not thoroughly researching before enrolling my child. I relied entirely on recommendations,” she admitted.

“Without the transcript, my child’s two years of study has been wasted.”

Shocking revelations

Other parents reported similar stunning experiences, as they learned Thien Lap Nhan Center had no connection to Prinberk Academy.

One parent revealed that he had been told the center was an 'American school' and that his child would receive a certificate allowing them to continue their education at a U.S. university.

Believing this promise, he transferred his child to the 177 Hai Phong facility.

After two years, his child was moved to another location at 565 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street to complete their senior year.

The family paid a monthly tuition fee of VND8 million ($315) at the 177 Hai Phong venue.

However, during the department’s investigation, Tu denied that Thien Lap Nhan Center operated any facility at 565 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street.

Parents presented tuition receipts from Prinberk Academy, listing the address as 177 Hai Phong and bearing signatures from Thien Lap Nhan staff.

They also shared transcripts provided by the center and supposedly issued by Prinberk Academy.

Parents are mainly worried about whether their children will receive transcripts after withdrawal and if this could disrupt their education or prevent them from re-enrolling in public schools.

In October, Tran Nguyen Minh Thanh, deputy director of Da Nang's education department, reported that inspections at Thien Lap Nhan revealed the use of self-compiled materials based on reference resources and online links for English instruction.

Some teachers even failed to meet professional qualifications, leading to administrative penalties and demands for improvement.

The department continues to receive complaints and is conducting further investigations.

When contacted, Tu declined to comment.

On November 22, the center's staff issued a statement confirming that on top of English classes, it has introduced students to online learning programs such as Duolingo, Khan Academy, Prinberk Academy, Acellus Academy, K-12, and IXL Learning.

These programs were described as optional resources that parents could explore independently.

Teachers at the center were available to assist students struggling with these programs.

Online education and homeschooling in Vietnam

Prinberk Academy is described as a homeschooling system following U.S. educational standards.

A parent from Hanoi has shared that their child is enrolled in an online school curriculum provided by Prinberk Academy. This institution issues transcripts and certificates directly from the U.S..

While homeschooling is not officially licensed in Vietnam, it is not explicitly prohibited.

Students transitioning from homeschooling to formal schools must take placement tests to determine their appropriate grade level.

However, if their academic records fail to meet requirements, they may be ineligible for enrollment.

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