School apologizes for “naming and shaming” disadvantaged students at opening ceremony

(Dan Tri) - On the afternoon of September 6, Thai Thinh Primary School, Dong Da, Hanoi sent out a letter of apology to parents and students for a major mistake in the opening ceremony.

Accordingly, Thai Thinh Primary School said on its fanpage that during the recent opening ceremony, the school made a major mistake when publicly displaying the list of students with difficult circumstances on the screen in front of all students, parents and guests attending.

"The school is deeply aware that this is a very regrettable mistake, and also a valuable lesson for the school to improve in its organization and education work," the apology letter said.

Along with that, Thai Thinh Primary School sends its apologies and sincere thanks.

The list of disadvantaged students was shown on the big screen by the school on the opening day.

Previously, social media circulated photos taken during the opening ceremony. The photos showed a list of nearly 20 disadvantaged students receiving support on the occasion of the new school year on a large public screen in the middle of the school yard. Their names were detailed with their family circumstances, even details of the student’s and family’s medical conditions.

It is worth mentioning that the school publicly disclosed the details of the students' family circumstances on screen, in front of thousands of students, parents and honored guests.

The image has attracted the attention of many people, causing controversy. Some people think that perhaps we should sympathize because many times schools do this to be more transparent with information.

However, many people believe that the school should only read the list of students receiving gifts, because this is personal data. If it is not made public in the right place, it will make students feel inferior, or even be bullied at school.

“Once children are forced to avoid the gaze of their friends because their private information is spread in the schoolyard, it is a failure in education,” an expert shared.

Speaking with Dan Tri reporter, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thanh Nam, Vice Principal of the University of Education ( Hanoi National University) said that supporting disadvantaged students is necessary but needs to be humane and in line with the spirit of education.

Despite the desire for transparency, the school's act of publicly announcing the names and circumstances in front of the school and during the opening ceremony above is insensitive and has many potential psychological and social consequences.

According to this psychologist, children at this age are very sensitive and in the process of forming their personality, so the school's actions above can make them feel self-conscious and ashamed.

"More dangerously, this action can create invisible discrimination in the classroom, when some students become the target of teasing, labeled as "lower class" and shunned," Associate Professor Nam said.

This psychologist believes that this is a lesson for many units to learn from, including changing the way they provide support but keeping personal information confidential, awarding scholarships or providing support in a discreet, tactful manner, using positive language in the form of scholarships.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/truong-hoc-xin-loi-vi-beu-ten-hoc-sinh-kho-khan-trong-le-khai-giang-20250906151911187.htm