The first-grade boy was spanked on the buttocks while attending extra classes.

In Khanh Hoa, a 6-year-old boy was sent to summer tutoring by his mother but was beaten on the buttocks by the teacher because he was slow to learn, after less than a month.

On June 29, leaders of Phuoc Hoa Ward People's Committee, Nha Trang City, stated that they had inspected the classroom of Ms. Dang Thi Phuong - where the aforementioned boy was beaten. Authorities determined that Ms. Phuong was conducting illegal tutoring, and the police have questioned her to further verify the incident.

Ms. Le Quynh Phuong, the boy's mother, said she learned about this class through an acquaintance. Because her son is a slow learner, she wanted him to take extra classes during the summer to improve his spelling and writing skills. Ms. Dang Thi Phuong tutors him at home; the class has five students, including Ms. Phuong's son.

"However, the incident happened less than a month after my child started school," said Ms. Quynh Phuong, explaining that yesterday, when she picked her child up from school, the child complained of pain in her buttocks and mouth because the teacher had hit her with a wooden ruler. Upon returning home, she discovered her child had multiple bruises on her buttocks and bleeding lips. The mother immediately reported the incident and took her child for a medical examination to assess the injuries.

"Last night she called to apologize and said she would return the money for the two days the child missed school, adding that she hit the child because the child couldn't learn," Ms. Phuong recounted.

The student's buttocks were bruised. Photo: Quynh Phuong — The student's buttocks were bruised. Photo: *Quynh Phuong*

Ms. Dang Thi Phuong admitted to hitting the student but claimed she only used a wooden ruler to hit him on the buttocks, "not causing injuries to his mouth or head." According to her, the boy was often unfocused, affecting his classmates. He was also a slow learner, so she used the ruler to hit him on the buttocks to help him improve. After the family raised concerns, she apologized and offered to help with medical expenses.

"I wrote a report and was asked to stop giving extra lessons," she said.

Mr. Tran Nguyen Lap, Head of the Education and Training Department of Nha Trang City, stated that tutoring and extra classes at the primary school level are against regulations. Furthermore, acts of violence against children are unacceptable.

Cases of students being beaten in informal group classes and tutoring sessions have become more frequent recently.

Bui Toan

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