The consequences could be dire if we prioritize teaching literacy over teaching moral values.

Regarding the story of the teacher being cornered by students, National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, a member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education , stated that children are a reflection of how adults behave, and no one is blameless in this unfortunate incident.

National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga stated that the incident of a student insulting a teacher in Tuyen Quang is unacceptable. (Source: National Assembly)

Moral decline in schools

The incident at a junior high school in Tuyen Quang province where students cornered their teacher and threw sandals at her reveals a serious flaw in the spirit of respecting teachers. What is your perspective on this story?

First of all, the incident in Tuyen Quang once again made me feel very sad. This is not the first time the alarm has been sounded about school violence and the decline in morality and culture among a segment of students. However, with this incident, things seem more serious. This is because the perpetrators of school violence are junior high school students – children who are still very innocent and naive in the eyes of their parents and relatives. The victims of this violence are their teachers.

If I hadn't seen the video posted on social media, I wouldn't have believed that students who are only in 7th grade could hurl insults and humiliate their teacher, throw sandals at her, stuff trash in her bag... Because these are terrible behaviors that go against the traditional moral values ​​of the nation, and against the efforts of the entire education sector in building friendly schools, active students, and a civilized school environment.

Following the incident, I've seen a lot of public debate. Some defend the students, arguing that the teacher had also engaged in violent behavior towards students, such as chasing and hitting them with a slipper; or that she had previously behaved or spoken inappropriately... However, regardless of the reason, the students' actions in this incident cannot be excused or glossed over. They were wrong, both morally and legally.

We need to be strict with these wrongdoings. Not strict enough to severely punish the students, but strict enough to show that such actions are not allowed to occur in the school environment – ​​where students are learning to be good people, learning both academic and moral foundations so that they can become positive individuals in the future.

This is a sad story for us to reflect upon and act upon. The school needs to re-evaluate its responsibilities in educational management (incidents of students disrespecting, defying, and insulting teachers have occurred many times). The teacher needs to seriously consider her own shortcomings. Teaching is a special profession. I believe the most important "teaching material" is not textbooks or the teacher's knowledge, but rather the teacher's character, dignity, and conduct.

No matter how eloquent the teacher's admonition to students may be, it's not as effective as the teacher's own example. Families also need to reconsider their parenting methods and how they guide their children. And each individual in society needs to reflect on what they have done to create a healthy "cultural atmosphere" for children to grow up in. Children are a reflection of the behavior of adults. I believe no one is blameless in this regrettable incident.

Screenshot from a video clip. (Source: NLĐ)

Teaching people how to be good people is more important than teaching them how to read and write.

Some people argue that currently, the education of character, manners, ethics, and lifestyle for students, as well as the spirit of respecting teachers, is not given enough attention, and is even relegated to a secondary position compared to grades and achievements. Do you agree with this?

I agree with this statement. The truth is that when we talk about the achievements of a school, a class, or a student, we habitually focus almost exclusively on academic performance and results.

Parents' greatest expectations for their children are always for them to excel academically, measured by their grades in school. Therefore, the cultivation of moral character in students is sometimes not given the attention it deserves. This is the root cause of many regrettable incidents, of which the recent case in Tuyen Quang is a prime example. Cultivating moral character in students should not be focused solely on one specific subject, nor should it be limited to outward behavior in their interactions with friends and teachers.

Moral education for students is a comprehensive education about lifestyle and worldview. Often, seemingly small behaviors of adults have a greater impact on children than theoretical teachings. We can hardly demand honesty from students if we ignore cheating and lying. It's difficult to teach them politeness and respect for teachers if the teachers' own behavior is not exemplary.

Therefore, I hope that moral education for students will be given more attention, from a deeper level. If we only focus on "teaching knowledge" rather than "teaching how to be a good person," the consequences will be immeasurable. A person who is knowledgeable but lacks morality will pose a danger to society and the community.

Character education for children needs to be prioritized.

As one of the National Assembly representatives who has repeatedly spoken about the alarming situation among a segment of today's youth – namely, the decline in social morality and the increase in school violence – what drastic changes and reforms in education are needed to mitigate such heartbreaking incidents and phenomena as school violence?

I believe that in educating the younger generation, responsibility is shared equally among the family, school, and society. Many people believe that educating students is solely the responsibility of the school. However, problems occurring in schools, such as school violence, are not solely the responsibility of the school. Families cannot be "innocent" in this matter. And the social environment in general cannot be innocuous either. Do the students who casually insult and throw shoes at teachers have any influence from their families? Is there any influence from society? I think there is.

When parents are completely unaware of how their children behave towards teachers at school (the incident in Tuyen Quang is not an isolated case), or know but fail to correct or guide them in a timely manner; when social media is still flooded with harmful and violent information that children can easily access; when deviant cultural lifestyles from some influential figures among young people are not promptly condemned or corrected, but are instead celebrated... then it cannot be said that families and society bear no responsibility for the children's mistakes.

Therefore, the first change I think is to immediately abandon the blame-shifting mindset. It's not the school's fault if students make mistakes. The responsibility for educating the younger generation doesn't belong to any one person alone. Each individual should understand that their daily actions and behavior create the socio-cultural environment. And young people will be influenced by that environment to form their character.

Every family should pay more attention to their children's education. There needs to be greater concern for protecting children from the negative impacts of social media. And the role and status of teachers need to be emphasized more. The government will soon submit a Law on Teachers to the National Assembly for consideration. I hope this draft law will clearly and reasonably define the legal status of teachers. Only then can we hope to prevent and put an end to regrettable incidents like the ones that have recently occurred.

Thank you, Member of Parliament!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dbqh-nguyen-thi-viet-nga-hau-qua-khon-luong-neu-chu-trong-day-chu-hon-day-lam-nguoi-253524.html