Alarming pressure from parents.

Pressure from parents not only makes teachers feel tired, stressed, lose autonomy and inspiration in their work, seriously affecting the quality of education ; but also creates a negative image of teachers in the eyes of students, parents and society.

The draft Law on Teachers, which was first discussed by the National Assembly at its 8th session of the 15th National Assembly, includes many new policies to improve salaries and income for teachers. This is a welcome sign. However, teachers still face many other concerns, the biggest of which comes from the pressure from parents.

As part of a study on the lives of teachers in the Southern region, the Institute for Policy Development of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (affiliated with the University of Economics and Law) conducted research and interviews with 132 education managers and teachers at all levels, and a large-scale survey of 12,505 teachers at all levels on issues related to income, living conditions, pressure, etc., in three provinces: Binh Thuan , Tay Ninh, and Hau Giang in September and October 2024. The results showed that, in addition to income pressure (only meeting an average of 51.87% of teachers' families' monthly expenses), teachers are currently facing significant pressure not from their professional work but from parents. The survey revealed that 70.21% of teachers reported experiencing or experiencing significant pressure from parents, with an average score of 4.4/5 (5 points being considered very stressful). The survey results also showed that as many as 40.63% of teachers had considered changing professions due to emotional abuse from parents.

In-depth interviews with school administrators, department heads, and teachers revealed a common consensus: the pressure from parents on teachers is currently an alarming issue in the education sector. Many parents have excessively high expectations, frequently interfering in teaching, and even putting pressure on teachers regarding grades. They constantly monitor, ask questions, and demand detailed reports on their children's academic progress through Zalo or Facebook groups. More worryingly, some teachers have reported that some parents engage in serious misconduct, such as causing disturbances at school or even physically assaulting teachers when their children are criticized, reprimanded, or do not achieve high grades. Many teachers also face threats or defamation on social media.

On the other hand, the survey results also showed that 94.23% of teachers said they continued pursuing the profession because of their love for the job and their students; 91.6% continued pursuing the profession because of their personal ideals, viewing it as a noble profession.

Many education administrators and teachers interviewed unanimously agreed that, in the current context where the rights of students and parents are emphasized, the rights of teachers seem to be diminished, especially the right to protection of dignity and honor in general and in cyberspace in particular. Many teachers also stated that teaching is a very demanding job, and income is insufficient to cover family expenses. The most important reason they remain in the profession is that it is considered a noble profession. If the image of this noble profession is increasingly degraded, it will be difficult to love the profession, love the students, and stay in the profession.

Therefore, the content that respects and protects the dignity, honor, and physical integrity of teachers while performing their professional duties must be stipulated as a separate provision in the new Law on Teachers to create a solid and comprehensive legal framework for protecting teachers. In addition, it is necessary to further promote the tradition of respecting teachers in the new context, especially in the context of the development of social media and digital transformation.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bao-dong-ap-luc-tu-phu-huynh-185241205235724222.htm