Vietnam-Finland International School
19 Nguyen Huu Tho Street, Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, VIETNAM
1
IB Programme
5.1/10
Rating
64
Reviews
$18K - $60K
Salary Range
At a Glance
IB Programmes
DP
Diploma ProgrammeAccreditations
Teacher Reviews
American International School Vietnam has experienced a severe institutional collapse centered around financial mismanagement and alleged fraud by ownership. Teachers describe a catastrophic situation involving months of unpaid salaries, canceled health insurance, lost accreditations (CIS withdrawn, WASC and IB at risk), and a school shutdown in 2024 with staff owed significant back pay and severance. Earlier reviews from 2019-2020 described a functioning school with supportive colleagues and eager students, but the financial issues that eventually destroyed the institution were already emerging then.
Pros
- +Students are described as motivated, respectful, studious, and pleasant to work with, with teachers genuinely enjoying teaching them despite the institutional problems.
- +Colleagues across departments are friendly, supportive, and have maintained professionalism even under extreme financial duress, with elementary teachers particularly noted for protecting students from the chaos.
- +The campus itself features attractive facilities with large classrooms, ample resources, and beautiful architecture on spacious grounds.
- +The cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City is low, offering opportunities for travel and savings when salaries were actually paid as promised.
Cons
- –The school has experienced catastrophic financial collapse with teachers going unpaid for months at a time, losing health insurance without notice, and being owed tens of thousands in back wages and severance, stemming from alleged owner fraud involving a parent investment scheme.
- –The school lost CIS accreditation in 2024 and faced loss of WASC and IB accreditation, was shut down by authorities, and has been delisted from major recruitment agencies due to financial mismanagement.
- –Leadership communicated poorly and allegedly misled staff with false promises about payments and mysterious investors, with the director reportedly recruiting new teachers while knowing the school was collapsing.
- –The owner is reportedly under criminal investigation, banned from leaving Vietnam, and parents staged protests on campus over lost investments, creating a chaotic and unsafe working environment.
- –Tax structures in contracts allegedly left international teachers vulnerable to unexpected tax liabilities in their home countries, with the school not properly disclosing these arrangements.