VietNamNet Bridge – An informal survey of students’ life skills found that 12th graders lack general knowledge which they should have learned many years ago, according to Tran Dinh Tro, a math teacher at Huong Son High School in Ha Tinh Province, who conducted the survey of the best students at his school.

Tran Dinh Tro, the math teacher at Huong Son High School

All of the 45 polled students go to school by bicycle, but only three of them could tell the difference between a freewheel and front chain wheel, and only 10 the difference between a tube and tyre. And none of the students could repair bicycles.

Forty-one students cross rivers and dreams, but only four of them can swim.

All of the polled students usually eat rice, but only 15 of them can cook it.

However, of the 15 students who can cook, only five have to prepare meals for their families. Meanwhile, 17 students said they “occasionally” have to wash dishes.

All of the students remember the birthdays of their close friends, but only four of them could remember their parents’ birthdays.

All of them read, but only textbooks. Five students said they have tried to read other kinds of books as well, but they have to read behind their parents’ backs, because the books are prohibited.

Two of the students registered to borrow books for free from Tro’s bookstore. However, they stopped after their parents discovered they were borrowing books.

All of the students attend private tutoring classes, and all have sufficient knowledge to pass the university entrance exams. All 45 of them said they wanted to become civil servants after they finished university.

Tro noted that Vietnamese students, especially those in urban areas, seriously lack life skills, partly caused by parents.

Modern parents tend to force their children to spend all of their time studying. They would rather do all the housework so that their children have more time to study.

Many 12th graders are still met and seen off by their parents at school, because of fear that they may play truant or be involved in a traffic accident.

Tro said his idea of setting up a library for students to borrow books was not welcomed by parents.

“Parents came to see me and asked not to give books to their children, because their children need to study to prepare for important exams,” Tro said.

Vu Quoc Thanh, a parent in Hanoi, noted that Tro’s survey reflected the problems of all Vietnamese students.

He said he was upset when realizing that his son, who recently graduated from university, could not repair his electric fan.

“He never tried to do this in the past, as he was too busy during the 12 years at general school and four years at university,” Thanh said.

Van Chung