Why laugh at 'the only guy admitted to the Preschool Education department'?

The article 'The only boy who just passed the entrance exam to the Faculty of Preschool Education' published in Thanh Nien Newspaper on September 7 received a large number of shares on forums for parents, students, and university students, along with many comments.

The article "The only male student admitted to the Early Childhood Education department" shares the story of Le Trung Nghia, the only male among 250 new students in the 51st cohort of the Early Childhood Education department at the main campus of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, regarding his career choice and future orientation.

Le Trung Nghia at the freshman welcoming event on September 7th.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

Touched by the love and care shown to children by the preschool teachers who nurtured him when he was a kindergarten student in Cu Chi district, Le Trung Nghia (a former student of Quang Trung High School, Thai My commune, Ho Chi Minh City) was determined to study hard and pass the entrance exam with a very high score (26.5 points), successfully enrolling in the Early Childhood Education department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. His former preschool teacher, who taught him over a decade ago and is now retired, diligently tutored him, recognizing his love for children and his talent for learning.

In 2025, the number of candidates taking the aptitude test to enter the Early Childhood Education Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education will skyrocket, quadrupling last year's figure. According to Dr. Bui Hong Quan, Head of the Early Childhood Education Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, nearly 4,000 candidates will take the aptitude test in 2025 (compared to approximately 1,000 in 2024). Therefore, Le Trung Nghia's successful admission demonstrates his academic ability and seriousness in choosing his career path. Notably, as Nghia shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper, his family fully supports his ambition to become an early childhood teacher.

However, after the article "The only boy who just got accepted into the Early Childhood Education department" was published in Thanh Nien Newspaper, many pages (fanpages) on social media shared Nghia's image and story. Alongside many compliments, admiration, and congratulations, there were also many mocking comments about his gender, physical appearance, and even the field of study - early childhood education - that Nghia chose.

Some social media users even asked, "Wait, can boys study early childhood education? I thought this field and profession were always for women?" (!?).

Mr. Thai Hong Duy, a teacher at the 19/5 Kindergarten in Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, is a city-level outstanding teacher.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

We need to eliminate the stereotype that men cannot study and become preschool teachers.

In 2024, Thanh Nien newspaper published a series of articles titled "Why Not Men as Preschool Teachers?". In these articles, education administrators from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, preschool teachers, administrators from teacher training universities, and gender experts all affirmed the need to eliminate the prejudice that men cannot study preschool education, as well as the prejudice that male preschool teachers cannot care for, nurture, and educate children as well as female teachers, or that those in this profession are not strong and assertive...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Song Tra, founder of the S Project sex education project and Director of TH Education and Training Company Limited (THedu), emphasized the need to change the prejudice that men working as preschool teachers are incapable of raising children well. Society needs more open-minded, understanding, and encouraging views so that men can confidently pursue this profession if they truly love it. Activities should be developed to foster greater openness and understanding among generations so that everyone understands that career choices are not entirely dependent on gender.

Kindergarten teacher Le Cong Su was awarded the title of Outstanding Young Teacher of Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SUBJECT

Psychologist Dr. Bui Hong Quan affirmed that in the 2025 admissions season, early childhood education is increasingly attracting applicants, especially in recent years, with many male applicants showing interest. Prior to 2023, there were almost no male students. In 2024, the department had one male student, and in 2025, there will also be one, Le Trung Nghia. "We always hope the department will have more male students. Because, clearly, early childhood education is not something only female teachers can do. Male early childhood teachers can also do it, and do it very well," Dr. Quan said.

These preschool teachers have achieved many outstanding accomplishments.

Thanh Nien newspaper has published many articles about outstanding preschool teachers. For example, Mr. Le Cong Su, 31 years old, a teacher at Hoa Dao Preschool in Tan Thoi Hiep ward, Ho Chi Minh City. In 2022, Mr. Su won first prize in the city-level competition for excellent preschool teachers on the theme "Building an environment for nurturing, caring for, and educating children." In 2024, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Young Teacher of Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Thai Hong Duy (30 years old), a teacher at the 19/5 Kindergarten in Tan Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, is also an energetic teacher who has achieved many outstanding accomplishments in his work. In the 2024-2025 school year, Mr. Duy was one of the top 10 teachers and was awarded first prize in the City-level Excellent Kindergarten Teacher Competition.

In 2024, in an interview with Thanh Nien Newspaper, Ms. Luong Thi Hong Diep, Head of the Preschool Education Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, stated that the city has 21 preschool teachers, including 8 management staff and 13 teachers directly involved in nurturing, educating, and caring for children. Thus, there are still many preschool teachers working in educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, quietly contributing to the noble profession of educating future generations...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sao-lai-cuoi-chang-trai-duy-nhat-trung-tuyen-khoa-giao-duc-mam-non-185250909191402479.htm