Lien, a secondary school teacher in Dong Nai province, vowed not to send her child to pre-first grade class because she believes that learning before a certain age is an ‘anti-scientific’ move. However, she later regretted her decision.

“My husband and I had to struggle with the kid’s lessons every evening and we could not go to bed before 11 pm when we finished all home exercises,” Lien said.

However, despite the study of the girl and the efforts made by the parents, the teacher was still unsatisfied about the schoolgirl’s learning achievements.

The story related by Lien on her Facebook has worried many young parents, who are wavering between sending children to preparation classes or not.

The debate on the topic is raised every summer, before a new academic year. Psychologists and the Ministry of Education affirm that no need to teach kids to read and write before they begin going to school.

Many parents, especially ones who receive western education, decide to do as they are advised. Hoang Thanh Lan, MA, who spent three years studying in France, said she saw French children spending most of their time on playing until they go to school.

When ther kids spent time on extra class and reading and writing practice hours, her son was busy playing, painting and learning to swim in the countryside.

She believed that it would be better for the boy to spend time on learning life skills. The boy's mother has a master’s degree and father has a doctorate.

However, the boy was a poor student.

“We experienced a tough period as he usually received bad marks, while classmates did not want to make friends with him,” she complained.

Finally, she identified the problem.

Psychologists have scientific theory to advise parents not to teach kids to read and write too soon. However, in Vietnam, where parents all want their children to become better than classmates by teaching their kids to solve math questions in advance.

“If you don’t teach your kid to read and write before he goes to the first grade, he will become the ‘stray bird’,” she concluded.

“Teachers and classmates will laugh at your kid. And this will cause immeasurable consequences,” she warned. “If so, your kid will be afraid of going to school and bear psychological wounds."

Mai Chi 

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