Many Vietnamese parents have been trying to force their children to study to excess, focusing on good results at the expense of any other activities.
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This trend has been popular not only among more well-off families, but also families who face economic difficulties. This type of parent is only concerned that their child studies well. They set goals and put high pressure on their children to achieve them.
Many such children are prevented from leaving their rooms. They are not allowed to attend any extra-curricular activities at school but attend several extra classes and do not have any leisure time.
Le Quy An, from HCM City’s Tan Binh District said, “One of my relatives has a hardworking daughter in the sixth grade. She gets good marks. Now she has acquired several English certificates and is also studying French.”One problem is that the little girl is so strictly controlled by her parents that she is forced to stay in her room all day and is even provided with meals in the room.
Pham Thi Thuy, an MA of sociology from National Academy of Public Administration – HCM City, attributed the situation to the significant changes in Vietnamese methods of teaching children. Parents have turned from simple expectations that their children would become a good person into much higher targets that their children would not only study well but also succeed in their work in the future.
Local experts have voiced their concerns over this situation, saying that such children tend to lack life skills and that their personal development may be incomprehensive. They say that when children are forced to achieve their parents' targets, they may try to do it at any cost, and this may affect their behaviour in the future. Worse still, when they fail to reach the set target, they may suffer severe distress.
