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Students are hiring stand-ins to represent them in lesson in the run-up to Tet.

Substitutes students services flood the internet

The service, to help students who live far from their place of study return home early for the holiday period, is widely advertised on the internet. Many providers said they were very busy.

The centres charge VND100,000 (USD4.8) per class. But they said they also met difficulties in finding enough substitute students.

In some universities, students have even established small groups with cheaper prices. The students in those groups charge VND60,000 per class and if they have to take tests, or attend double lectures VND70-80,000 a go.

N.L. a second year student at the University of Languages and International Studies said, "At first, I don't have many customers but at the moment, I’ve received a lot of calls from rich students. Some even hire me to take classes and tests for them from now till two weeks after Tet. Because I can’t take all of the requests, I have introduced my friends to them."

Students are taking advantage of the service as many want to return to their hometown earlier, while others want to take days off and some just don't want to go to school in the cold weather.

P.T. a third year student said, "Actually, we don't study much when Tet approaches, we can't focus. Even the teachers are more easy-going, they won't notice if other students attend the classes for us."

However, not all teachers are so lenient. The Academy of Journalism and Communication discovered three substitute students in one of their classes and suspended the truant students and forced them to retake the classes and tests.

Pham Thi Phuong, a lecturer at Hanoi University said, "Although we criticise the laziness of the students, we must also take a second look at the teachers. We have to tighten the rules. Sometimes, the penalties on these students aren’t strict enough to make them think twice about doing these things. Education is a right and students shouldn't abuse this right."