Finding common ground

If only one side makes an effort, while the others exert pressure or lack respect and empathy for each other, it will be difficult to achieve the common goal of educating students to become good people.

TEACHERS MUST ACT LIKE TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS MUST ACT LIKE STUDENTS.

Speaking to a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper, educator Nguyen Van Ngai, former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, said that in order to maintain a dignified environment in schools, teachers must act like teachers and students must act like students.

An open lesson at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) in the 2024-2025 school year included parent participation. This is a way to help parents understand and have a closer connection with the school.

Students respect their teachers. Teachers, however, cannot assume that because they are teachers, they can say whatever they want to their students. When interacting with students, teachers must carefully consider every word and gesture; they cannot insult or scold them. This is a sign of respect for their students.

From the perspective of the students' parents, Mr. Ngai stated that the students' relatives must also behave appropriately, respecting the school and the teachers. They shouldn't listen to their children's stories from school without knowing the truth or accuracy of the information, then go to the school, insult or even assault teachers, or post unverified negative information on social media…

TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS IN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Mr. NV, a parent of a student in Binh Tan District (Ho Chi Minh City), believes that to build trust and cooperation from parents in the educational environment, and to support the school in educational activities that help students develop, the school must be open and transparent with information. This includes publicly disclosing school programs and collaborative educational activities within the school so that parents can understand the curriculum, lesson plans, and effectiveness, thus facilitating registration. Furthermore, transparency regarding the quality of school lunches and the food providers is crucial, creating opportunities for parents to collaborate with teachers, school administrators, medical staff, and service staff in ensuring food safety.

Recently, to ensure transparency regarding the quality of education for parents, many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City have organized Open House events, inviting parents to visit the school, tour facilities, study with their children, and have meals with them. This is also a way for parents to observe a day in the life of teachers and caregivers, fostering greater understanding of the hard work and dedication of the teachers.

Ms. Thai Thi Kim Anh, whose child attends the 19-5 Kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh City, said that although her child has only been there for two months, she and other parents have already participated in many of the children's activities at school, observing how her child learns, plays, and eats. "The school doesn't have cameras in every classroom, but with an open environment, parents feel completely secure and trust the school and the teachers," Ms. Kim Anh said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My, a retired teacher whose granddaughter attends the kindergarten class at the 19-5 City Kindergarten, said that after attending the morning class with her granddaughter, she clearly saw two things: Firstly, kindergarten teachers work incredibly hard, teaching and caring for children, feeding them, comforting crying children, and creatively applying modern information technology to make lessons engaging for children. Secondly, there is the warmth of the kindergarten teachers and the affection the children have for them.

According to Ms. My, when education is transparent, giving parents more opportunities to learn and play with their children, and gaining a better understanding of the hard work of teachers and staff, parents will certainly be more willing to share and cooperate better with the school in educating and caring for their children.

A child's first school is their family.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dai Thanh, former principal of Ho Van Thanh Primary School (District 12, Ho Chi Minh City), believes that to create a healthy and happy school environment for both teachers and students, the responsibility should not rest solely on the shoulders of teachers. The responsibility of parents is essential and very important.

"The family is a child's first educational environment, where they are taught and nurtured morals and many other qualities from birth. Within the family, grandparents and parents teach children politeness, respect for elders, and harmony among siblings. Grandparents and parents must also set a good example for their children to follow. This includes setting an example in small behaviors on the street and in other social interactions. When children are taught these small things, they will gradually learn politeness, filial piety, calmness, and gentleness, and will also learn to respect their teachers at school," Mr. Thanh shared.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huong, Principal of Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), said that nowadays, teachers have to put in a lot of effort just to teach academic knowledge. They have to meticulously prepare their lessons, improve their professional knowledge, meet increasingly high demands, and adapt to the rapidly developing era of artificial intelligence. In addition, teachers also have the responsibility of educating students on ethics. This is not simple, given that each child has a unique personality, and some children are spoiled by their parents at home, leading to inappropriate attitudes towards teachers and school staff in class.

Elementary school teachers both educate and care for students, guiding and supporting them in their school activities.

According to Ms. Huong, the school and teachers earnestly hope to receive the support, sharing, and understanding of parents in educating their children. This is because the family, the school, and society all share a common educational goal: to nurture children into becoming good people and useful citizens.

In addition, some argue that fairness is needed in handling the statements and actions of parents of students, in order to create a safe and healthy educational environment.

A school administrator in District 7 (Ho Chi Minh City) stated that when teachers and school staff violate regulations regarding communication with parents or professional ethics, the education sector will handle those teachers based on laws such as the Civil Servant Law and the Education Law. However, when parents insult teachers, write or speak falsely about them on social media, and the teachers eventually delete the posts or only offer a few words of apology, it is considered inadequate and unfair to the teachers.

Training for teachers and school staff on how to communicate with parents.

This has been a common practice in many schools in Ho Chi Minh City recently. At the beginning of the school year, schools organize internal training sessions, with support from education experts, to teach school administrators, teachers, and staff how to communicate with parents; how to record feedback and contributions from parents, demonstrating the school's willingness to listen and be receptive. According to experts, this is a positive aspect of public schools in Ho Chi Minh City, fostering a shared goal among schools, families, and society in educating children to become well-rounded individuals.

It's not just pressure from "helicopter parents."

We teachers call controlling parents who constantly nag and interfere with their children's studies and friendships at school and in their daily lives "helicopter parents." It's noteworthy that teachers today not only face pressure from such parents, but also many other pressures. These include being overwhelmed with non-professional tasks such as urging students to pay fees, from tuition to health and accident insurance; and being overloaded with industry-wide campaigns…

In rural areas, after teaching hours, many of my colleagues have to go to the fields to tend to their vegetable plots and rice paddies to earn extra income. When going to the market, teachers have to carefully weigh and measure the ingredients for their daily meals. With dedication and love for their profession, teachers all strive to bring joy and meaning to each lesson, but deep down, we still have many concerns.

Hopefully, every teacher will have a truly happy and stable working environment, so that they themselves can be happy before creating joy and happiness for their students.

Le Tan Thoi (Teacher at Nguyen Dang Son Secondary School, Cho Moi District, An Giang Province)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-vien-ap-luc-vi-phu-huynh-di-tim-tieng-noi-chung-185241205182201068.htm