When teachers are... bullied

The story of a parent at Tan Binh Primary and Secondary School (Tan Thanh District, Long An Province ) storming the school, slapping a teacher, and filming the incident before posting it on social media after hearing that their first-grade son had been hit five times on the upper left arm with a ruler by the teacher, stands as a somber note in the final days of the school year.

Cô N. (thứ 2, từ trái sang) tại thời điểm bị phụ huynh đánh — Ms. N. (second from the left) at the time she was assaulted by a parent.

A sad piece about the relationship between parents and teachers.

The teacher was wrong to use disciplinary measures against the student. Therefore, after hitting the student's hand, she felt guilty and called the boy's mother several times to apologize, but couldn't reach her. She waited at the gate for the boy's sister to apologize, and the sister agreed. However, the boy's mother still rushed to the school, slapped and insulted her, and two people accompanying the parents filmed the incident and attempted to physically assault the teacher. Fortunately, the school administration and other teachers intervened in time.

The teacher in the story received a reprimand and was transferred to another school for her corporal punishment of hitting the student. Meanwhile, the parents who violently stormed the school and assaulted her are still awaiting investigation and legal action from the authorities. Behind this sad story of the strained relationship between parents and teachers today lies countless things to ponder…

Everyone wants to teach well-behaved students so they can go to school peacefully and teach at their leisure. But it's not as simple as just dreaming or wishing. Today's children are growing up and maturing in a digital age, subjected to multifaceted influences from the psychological and physiological changes of their age, the upheaval and fading of many values, and the numerous negative aspects of the virtual world. All of these become significant obstacles on the journey of cultivating the beauty of students' souls. The more dedicated a teacher is to guiding their students, the more likely they are to encounter these challenges!

The glaring example of some teachers being pushed off the right track by the mob effect—teaching both knowledge and character—inadvertently creates a barrier preventing teachers from opening their hearts and extending their arms to uphold morality and shape the character of their students.

The responsibility of "educating people" is a thousand times more difficult than the task of "teaching literacy."

Let's try to put ourselves in the position of a classroom teacher, responsible for shaping 40 different personalities into a structured and disciplined environment. The responsibility of "teaching character" is infinitely more difficult than "teaching knowledge," because how can one instill good values and positive behavior in students according to parental expectations, school norms, and societal standards, without raising one's voice, constantly contacting parents by phone, or seeking assistance from various departments and organizations within the school?

The incident at Tan Binh Primary and Secondary School is not the first time we have witnessed a sad story about the fading of the moral principle of "respecting teachers and valuing education." Recently, public opinion has continuously witnessed a decline in the culture of behavior towards teachers, both from parents and students.

A teacher was slapped by a parent, who then brought thugs to her home to beat her unconscious, requiring emergency hospitalization. Who will protect teachers when they face unruly parents and students with unique personalities?

It is extremely worrying and alarming that a segment of teachers are retreating in the face of fierce public backlash, regardless of right or wrong, without regard for justice. Students who are unqualified should be reminded and reprimanded. Disrespectful, disruptive, and abusive students should be warned and severely punished. However, many of the teachers' educational methods are misinterpreted as insulting the dignity and violating the physical integrity of students. Therefore, whenever news of teachers hitting or punishing students appears on social media, everything is stirred up into a chaotic and uncontrollable uproar.

Offensive words were relentlessly hurled at the teacher, even though the chalk-wielding figure had apologized and expressed a desire to continue standing on the podium to contribute to the noble cause of educating future generations. The glaring example of a segment of teachers being pushed off the right track by mob mentality—teaching both knowledge and character—inadvertently creates a barrier preventing them from opening their hearts and extending their arms to uphold morality and shape the character of their students.

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