Children are not achievement machines.

Sharing about the pressure of students today, Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, emphasized: "Children need to be loved and grow up with a carefree childhood, not be achievement machines."

"Let children grow up with a carefree childhood"

As a former student specializing in Mathematics at the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences, won the Silver Medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2001, received a PhD from Harvard University (USA) in 2010, the youngest person in Vietnam to be recognized as Associate Professor in 2013 and the youngest Professor in Vietnam in 2020, Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, shared about the pressure on students today at a recent discussion.

According to Professor Le Anh Vinh: "In modern society, children are facing many pressures from study, family and society. These pressures not only affect mental health but also reduce the joy and innocence of childhood.

Tiến sĩ Harvard, Giáo sư trẻ nhất Việt Nam năm 2020: — Professor Le Anh Vinh said: "Let your children live in love and grow up with a carefree, innocent childhood, without pressure before placing on their shoulders expectations of success or becoming champions." Photo: Tao Nga

School is one of the environments that most significantly affects children's psychosocial development. In addition, family pressure is also a factor that needs attention. Many parents tend to have too high expectations for their children, wanting their children to achieve outstanding results, to be number one, to be champions, to be proud. However, this inadvertently creates a huge psychological burden for children.

Children need to be loved and supported, not achievement machines. Let them live in love and grow up with a carefree, innocent childhood, without pressure before placing on their shoulders expectations of success or becoming champions. A carefree childhood will be the foundation for an open and successful future."

"Let Vietnamese children grow up with a stress-free childhood" was also the topic of the discussion held on the morning of March 13 by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences. According to experts, childhood is the foundational stage, deeply affecting the comprehensive development of each person.

According to Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Thuc, Center for Psychology and Education Research, Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, the pressure that negatively impacts students today comes from their parents. Among the factors that create pressure are parenting style, expectations and limitations of parents.

"In recent years, the authoritarian parenting style from China has been widely adopted. In this style, parents will discipline their children and set high expectations for them. To achieve their goals, parents will cut off activities and benefits that are considered "unnecessary" so that children cannot participate in their favorite activities.

At school, children are also under pressure from daily tasks and school events (first grade assessment, annual exams, etc.). Students' daily efforts are a source of stress and anxiety for them."

According to MSc. Pham Thi Phuong Thuc: "Parents and schools both have equal pressure affecting children."

Pressure is a violation of children's rights

Faced with the current pressure on children, Mr. Ha Dinh Bon, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children's Rights, affirmed that putting pressure on children, whether directly or indirectly, is a violation of children's rights.

However, it can be very difficult to specify the law if we do not have an objective approach, we must implement the rights synchronously, fully and appropriately, and apply them scientifically and reasonably. For example: The right to education, learning and talent development (Article 16 of the Law on Children 2016); The right to play and entertainment (Article 17 of the Law on Children 2016).

If parents, the responsible person, pressure and require their children to study and take extra classes without having time to play, it is a violation of children's right to play. Or if they require their children to study jobs that they do not like or that do not suit their talents, it is a violation of children's rights.

If parents put pressure on their children to get high scores, win first prizes, become champions or winners in competitions that are not the children's wishes, leading to consequences for their children's mental health, it can also be considered a violation of children's rights.

However, the level of violations in this area is often abstract and intersects with each other, making it difficult to determine the parents' fault. Parents even justify their actions as right and as the parents' right, for the sake of their children. Invisibly, when children are under pressure, they will suffer many disadvantages because the line between right and wrong, between love and abuse of love is very fragile, children find it difficult to find sympathy and timely sharing.

So how to reduce pressure, so that children can still be innocent, carefree, live true to their childhood while still maximizing their own abilities, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Nam, Vice Principal of the University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, expressed his opinion: "We are living in a world of pressure. Parents are under pressure, teachers are under pressure, so children are also under pressure. How to reduce pressure for children while still developing comprehensively, with a sustainable career? That is to improve the ability to adapt to pressure. Parents and teachers need to equip children with skills to develop their abilities".

Regarding school education, Deputy Head of the Department of General Education, Ministry of Education and Training Ta Ngoc Tri said: "Recently, the education sector has innovated the textbook program, shifting teaching and learning from the method of imparting knowledge to teaching and learning focusing on developing skills and qualities.

In addition, the Ministry of Education and Training also focuses on directing the development of a happy school movement and a positive learning environment for students. The parent meetings in some schools are being implemented in which each parent will discuss with the teachers to develop each student's abilities, not compare students with each other as before. Our goal is to have a synchronous participation, working together to create a learning environment that focuses on developing the skills and qualities of each student."

"Pressure comes from expectations, expectations come from goals. If our goal is for children to be the best in class or win first prize or champion, then it is too small a goal for a child's life. Let's set a bigger goal for children, which is what kind of person they will become in the future, let them live a carefree childhood, live in love, care and develop themselves comprehensively," emphasized Professor Le Anh Vinh.

Sharing about the pressure of students today, Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, emphasized: "Children need to be loved and grow up with a carefree childhood, not be achievement machines."

Pressure is a violation of children's rights

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