VietNamNet Bridge – “You have good learning capability and you’d better attend the exams to economics schools. You would squander your talents if you study at a pedagogical school and become a teacher,” a parent said.

The parents of Nguyen Thi Thuy, a 12th grader student of a high school in district 5 in HCM City, have been trying to persuade their daughter not to register to attend the entrance exams to the HCM City University of Education.

In the thoughts of many Vietnamese parents, only the students with medium or low learning ability would choose pedagogical schools. Meanwhile, those, who have good ability, would prefer economics or technology relating majors.

A lot of high school students admitted that they really want to become teachers, but they may not enroll in pedagogical schools because they fear they would not be able to find jobs later. Those, who are lucky enough to find jobs at general schools and get pay from the State budget, also feel unsatisfactory about their jobs because of the modest pay.

Hanh, a 12th grader of a school in HCM City, said she has to submit applications for attending the university entrance exams in some days, but she still cannot make decisions on which schools to enroll. Hanh said she has been nurturing the dream of becoming a teacher since they day she began going to school 12 years ago.

However, Hanh said no one in the family backs her family of becoming a teacher. “The biggest barrier I am facing is the one installed by the family,” she said.

“They show me the big difficulties I would meet and the hard pressure I would have to bear when I graduate school and work as a teacher,” she continued. “They try to persuade me that the salary I can get would not be enough for me to feed myself and my children.”

Hanh said she may register to attend the university entrance exams to two schools, a pedagogical school and an economics schools, while she would make the final decision on the day just before the exam day.

NNB, a student of the Trung Vuong High School in district 1 of HCM City, said every time when she talks about the future job as a teacher, she would get a scolding from parents. “You must not study at pedagogical schools, or you will not see us anymore,” the parents told her.

B has been threatened that B would have to lead a hard life if she becomes a teacher. Especially, it would be very difficult for B to find a husband, who accepts a wife with low income and little free time to take care for family.

“I think that my mother has her reasons when saying so,” B said, adding that she may give up the hope of becoming a teacher.

Nguyen Duc Tai in Binh Phuoc province said at first he intended to enroll in a pedagogical school, because pedagogical schools would exempt tuitions for students. However, he has changed his mind, saying that he would rather pay tuitions now than getting a bad job in the future.

“Teaching was once an honorable job in the countryside. In the past, all the teachers were respected by people. However, things are quite different now. Only those, who can earn big money, can become respectful,” Tai said.

Tien Phong