Starting School in Vietnam

From martin.gainsborough@virgin.net Fri Jun 10 03:41:23 2005

Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:33:30 +0100

From: Martin Gainsborough <martin.gainsborough@virgin.net>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: [Vsg] Starting School in Vietnam

I have a simple question which I would be grateful if someone could give me the 'definitive' answer on.

It is for a report I am writing in connection with a Vietnamese person who has applied for right to remain in the UK until their 18th birthday but their age is disputed.

Getting my facts right is important because someone's future depends on it!

If you have a December birthday would you start your first year at school at age five, turning six a few months after the start of the school year in September OR do you have to wait until you are actually six before starting school?

Thank you and best wishes

Martin Gainsborough

From phqph@yahoo.com Fri Jun 10 18:16:13 2005

Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 18:15:43 -0700 (PDT)

From: Pham Quynh Phuong <phqph@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] Starting school in Vietnam

Dear Martin,

In this September 2005, all children who were born in the year 1999 (1 January to December 31) will start school; So you see!

Best,

Phuong

Pham Quynh Phuong

Institute of Cultural Studies,

Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences

27 Tran Xuan Soan, Hanoi, Vietnam

Mob:0989538783

From dieuhien@u.washington.edu Sun Jun 12 23:44:36 2005

Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 23:44:07 -0700 (PDT)

From: Hoang thi Dieu-Hien <dieuhien@u.washington.edu>

To: vsg@u.washington.edu

Subject: Re: [Vsg] Starting school in Vietnam

Dear Martin,

This is to confirm Phuong's email. Officially, Vietnamese count age by subtracting the year of birth from the year in question. The exact date is irrelevant. In other words, all children born in 1999, regardless of the date, are considered to turn 6 on January 1, 2005 and remain so for the whole year.

Hope this helps.

Dieu-Hien