Mr. Nguyen Minh, Principal of Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School (Ho Chi Minh City), once argued that the concept of "excellent, diligent, and well-behaved student" needs to be redefined. Indeed, it is time for us to free ourselves from outdated and restrictive notions.
Helping students become confident and assertive in communication with a critical thinking spirit is one of the tasks of modern education .
Being good at academic subjects doesn't automatically mean you're smart.
For a long time, the educational philosophy has placed a heavy emphasis on academic achievement, confining a student's abilities to grades in subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, literature, foreign languages, history, and geography. Therefore, people see a student "grinding" day and night with books, knowledge, and homework as diligent, hardworking, and persevering. For a long time, we've assumed that a good child is one who always obeys their parents and teachers, and doesn't argue or debate with adults.
"Talented," "diligent," and "well-behaved"—these three criteria defining successful parenting and educational methods have become ingrained in Vietnamese families and schools. However, consider the following situations to see that the concepts of talent, diligence, and good behavior have shifted somewhat.
A competition to create book introduction videos has been launched, requiring sixth-grade students and their homeroom teachers to work diligently. Choosing good books, writing introductions, and practicing expressive storytelling are all done. However, the filming, editing, and final production of the clips will likely require the assistance of the computer science teacher.
Then, a student raised their hand and volunteered to create the video clip. The child was an average student in the class, but their quick wit with technology impressed the teacher and classmates. They used software to add music, and other tools to cut videos, animated and still images, fast-paced and slow-motion scenes, all brought to life with their skillful hands and captivated eyes. "That girl is amazing!" many teachers exclaimed after watching the clip, even though the child's academic achievements weren't particularly outstanding.
Assessing students' abilities needs to move beyond the narrow framework of only excelling in academic subjects.
What does it mean to be "diligent" and "well-behaved"?
A ninth-grade male student frequently arrived late for the first class of the morning. His first-semester results were quite good, but when evaluating his conduct, some subject teachers disagreed with the intended "good" rating due to his repeated tardiness.
The homeroom teacher only understood the reason for the student's tardiness after talking to him several times. His family was quite poor; his mother sold tofu and had to go to the market early. On days when his father was drunk and couldn't take his wife to the market, the son had to ride his mother to the market on his bicycle and then return to school, causing him to be late. Of course, after learning the reason and understanding the student's family situation, no one had the heart to give him a low conduct grade. However, this student confidently accepted the initial grade and remained steadfast despite the teacher's advice regarding his final year of high school.
Changing old concepts in the new educational landscape.
These two stories are two small glimpses into the current state of education. What does it mean to be "good"? When a child can't solve a difficult math problem or write a fluent essay, but is quick to adapt to technology, understands their responsibility to the group, volunteers for tasks, and completes them with humility, I still consider them a good child.
What does it mean to be "diligent" and "well-behaved"? When a child is aware of their family's difficult circumstances, helps their parents with filial piety, even if they are sometimes careless in their routines and steadfastly accept disadvantages, how can we hastily judge them as not diligent or well-behaved?!
The concept of "excellent, diligent, and well-behaved students" needs to change in the modern educational landscape.
Let's also honestly acknowledge the weaknesses of many students today: shyness and timidity in communication, reluctance to engage in critical thinking, and a fear of asking questions on important issues.
Students offered many constructive suggestions and comments on the teaching methods of their subject teachers at a school dialogue session at a high school in Da Nang City in 2022. Such models are essential for students to develop critical thinking skills, learn to ask questions, and reduce shyness in communication...
The ingrained tendency to equalize individual student personalities has existed for quite some time in secondary schools. The standardized curriculum, requiring all children to solve difficult math problems according to a template, or write excellent essays on the beauty of a particular literary work, has overshadowed the importance of respecting individual student personalities. Simultaneously, the obsession with achievement has begun to emerge, with the race for grades and titles causing numerous regrettable consequences.
The passive learning style, the reluctance to question and debate, has led many students to grow up extremely obedient and absolutely submissive. The individual "I" is assimilated into the collective "we." We hope to raise obedient children, dreaming of raising a well-behaved class to avoid unnecessary trouble and worry. But obedience that leads to heartbreaking incidents like the one that occurred: a teacher making 23 students slap a classmate without any of them disobeying, or a teacher going to class for months without teaching, with everything only coming to light during a dialogue with city leaders… no one wants that.
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