Kimberley Larsen from Study Adelaide met outstanding achiever and Flinders graduate, Ms Pham Thi Cuc Ha (MEdMgt ’05) in Hanoi. Since opening her kindergartens in 2007 on her return to Vietnam, Ha has now expanded her schools and she now runs four in Hanoi, with one of them specifically for 6-18 month old toddlers (child care).

Ha has 4 children of her own, ranging from 4 (the youngest – enrolled at Just Kids) and the eldest being 22. Ms Larsen visited the Nguyen Thi Dinh branch where 90 excited, smiley faces greeted her. Visiting each classroom, where student numbers ranged from 10-15 in each, the teaching methodology and style was easy to see, and the children played, sang and danced happily – and their English was amazing.

The kindergartens run from 7:30am until 4:30pm, with childcare facilities until 7.00pm. Children receive meals four times a day and have “ nap time” in the early afternoon.

After visiting the children, Ms Larsen spoke with Ha about her experience in Adelaide. She still remains in touch with some Flinders staff, and has at least 20 friends and colleagues who are also South Australian university graduates in Hanoi. It was agreed that the next time StudyAdelaide and partners visit Vietnam, a networking function will be arranged in Hanoi.

Ha mentioned she specifically chose Adelaide as a study destination because it was relatively peaceful and a good environment to study in without too many distractions. Ha said she wanted to get away from the large and busy nature of a big city, hence Adelaide provided a quieter, more relaxed environment. At the time, she had a 6 month old baby whilst studying at Flinders, and says that “it was good for her to learn the principles of Western teaching and to be able to apply them directly to her learning and for her children.”