The first day of school was a special one last month for the 15 children from the Mai Hoa orphanage here. They are infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and for the first time they would be allowed to attend the local primary school. Skip to next paragraph Multimedia In Vietnam, an Education DeferredSlide Show In Vietnam, an Education Deferred Enlarge This Image Justin Mott for The New York Times
Students studied at the Mai Hoa AIDS Center in An Nhon Tay, Vietnam. More Photos » The New York Times
An Nhon Tay village is 20 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. More Photos >
“The children were so excited,” said Sister Nguyen Thi Bao, who runs the orphanage and had been lobbying for three years to enroll them in the government school. “They had been wishing for this day to come.”
But when they arrived, they found an uprising by the parents of the other students, who refused to let their children enter the school together with the infected
