A new directive about traffic safety related to the education sector for the 2016-2020 period issued by Hanoi Department of Education and Training in which pupils can be suspended for not wearing helmets has unsurprisingly stirred debate.
Adults are often bad role models by not following traffic laws
Pupils will be reprimanded publicly for first-time offences and face a three-day suspension for a subsequent offence. If the pupils violate the law multiple times, they will be publicly reprimanded and suspended for a week.
The biggest argument against the policy is that people have argued it is the responsibility of the police and not the Department of Education and Training's to ensure laws are obeyed. Parents expressed worry about the wasted time when their children stay home and suggested other punishments such as sending them to traffic safety classes or doing community service at schools.
"This punishment inadvertently takes away the children's right to go to school. And if they get continuously suspended then they’ll be more and more bored with the school work, the kids will become more unruly," a parent said.
Vu Thu Huong, lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education however approved of the punishments, saying that it was a warning to the parents because the blame rested with them, despite it actually being the children facing punishment. Traffic safety is taught since kindergarten and is always mentioned in primary, secondary or high schools. The children know the laws so there should be suitable punishments, she said.
"They either have to be punished or pay for it later with severe consequences which may cost them their own lives and other people's too," Huong said.
Ngo Thuy Huong, a teacher at Huu Nghi 80 High School, also agreed. Huong said one parent screamed at her unreasonably for making pupils wear helmets. The parent was angry because their house is very near school and her child refused to go to school without helmet.
Huong emphasised that adults were acting as bad role models when they kept violating traffic laws. The teaching and light punishment, such as writing sentences are useless if parents do not follow the laws. Meanwhile, suspension will upset parents most because they need someone at home to care for the child.
"I know parents will oppose this rule because it affects them. But stronger punishments needed to improve traffic safety on streets," Huong said.
