The Ministry of Education and Training has prohibited educational facilities and teachers from teaching children before school age, and ordered local education departments to persuade parents to comply.
Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper held an exchange with Nguyen Hoai Chuong, Deputy Head of the City Education Department, on the issue.
Hoai Chuong said that for years, the department had asked primary schools and teachers not to teach first-grade curriculum to preschoolers. Hence this year, the ministry had to resort to a ban. The department will henceforth issue fines and warnings to violators.
Chuong said teaching reading and writing to preschoolers in fact originates from parents’ demand. Most Vietnamese parents believe that their children need to read and write before they go to primary school. If they don’t, they would not catch up with their other classmates.
Although educators and psychologists have many times warned parents against teaching children before primary school, parents still continue to disregard the advice.
According to educators and psychologists, children should be encouraged to enjoy going to school rather than forced to study. They may become scared of learning if forced to study too much at a very early age.
Moreover, the students who know how to read and write before going to school would show lack of concentration and would neglect the teachers’ lessons.
The department has issued a new legal document to prohibit teachers to give marks to first graders in first two to four weeks of school year.
Teachers can only give comments to help students correct their mistakes and improve themselves, instead of giving marks, which may make students afraid of learning.
Most local schools are complying and the department has asked for extension of time period for two months, so that the ban can be implemented this academic year.
