An unusual incident at Tuoi Tho Kindergarten.

(Baonghean) - Recently, Ms. Nguyen Thi An (Tan Phuc apartment building, Vinh Tan ward, Vinh City) sent letters to many media outlets complaining that her child – a 5-year-old boy considered bright and well-behaved – was suddenly dismissed from school without any official notification. This unprecedented incident is attracting much public attention and raising questions about whether children's rights to protection, education, and development are being disregarded.

Tuoi Tho Kindergarten.

Adults make mistakes, children bear the consequences.

In a letter sent to Nghe An Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi An (Tan Phuc apartment building, Vinh Tan ward, Vinh City) reported that her son, HM N, was forced to stop attending Tuoi Tho Kindergarten (Vinh Tan New Urban Area, Vinh City) without reason. Specifically: On May 29, 2014, an administrative staff member of Tuoi Tho Kindergarten called Ms. An to pick up her son's records because the school had decided not to allow her son to attend anymore. Ms. An asked for the reason, but the administrative staff member did not give a specific answer. Ms. An repeatedly called the school's Board of Directors requesting a definitive resolution. On June 14, 2014, Ms. An went to meet directly with Mr. Dang Minh Chuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tuoi Tho Kindergarten, to clarify the reason for forcing her son to stop attending, but she did not receive cooperation, and the school still did not have any specific document forcing her son to leave school.

Ms. An stated: Her child, N, started attending Tuoi Tho Kindergarten on August 1, 2013. During her time at the school, N was considered well-behaved, intelligent, and quick-witted by the teachers. On May 28, 2014, the school selected N to be part of the performing arts team for the year-end ceremony. Following the teacher's instructions, Ms. An bought N's performance outfit and gave it to the teacher before going to work. That evening, Ms. An arrived at the school and found N without shoes, and her bag was missing. When Ms. An asked the teacher, the teacher said she "didn't know" because she had already given the bag to N. After searching for a long time without success, Ms. An and the teacher had an argument. “In the morning, I gave the bag of clothes to the teacher, but by evening she said she didn't know, which was irresponsible. How could a child know? While the other children were fully dressed for the fashion show, my son had no clothes and had to go barefoot. I felt sorry for my son and also embarrassed when other parents said I didn't know how to take care of my child,” Ms. An said.

On the morning of May 29, 2014, Ms. An was shocked when the school decided to refuse her child's continued enrollment via telephone. “Although it's a private school, it's a legally regulated organization. When my child enrolled, I submitted an application, so when they force my child to leave, the school must have a reason and a written document. The child is innocent, and adults should resolve their own issues,” Ms. An said angrily. Regarding this issue, Mr. Dang Minh Chuong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tuoi Tho Kindergarten, stated that the reason for not allowing N to continue attending was the lack of cooperation between the parents and the school. “During N's time at the school, the parents showed a lack of respect for the teachers. If the school doesn't take a firm stance, it will affect other children in the school and the teachers' morale. The loss of the child's belongings was an oversight, not a crime that warrants the parents insulting the entire school staff in this way.”

Ms. An admitted that the incident with the lost bag was just the straw that broke the camel's back, but if things had been handled properly, the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point. Previously, she had voiced concerns about the school's service regarding the children's meals, noting issues like burnt rice, watery porridge, and questionable food quality, as well as ambiguity in the school's finances. Could it be that the parents' positive and constructive feedback had offended the school? Prior to this, the school had never once invited parents to discuss and listen to all parties' opinions in order to resolve the issue thoroughly. This led to suspicions and barriers, causing tension between teachers and parents. On May 29th, the school held a council meeting, and in that meeting, 100% of the teachers unanimously agreed to refuse to care for N for the next school year. This incident has caused great indignation among the parents.

A regulation that violates the rules.

Responding to the question of why they refused to care for the child without notifying the parents in writing, Mr. Chưởng stated that it was currently summer vacation and they would report the matter to the Vinh City Department of Education and Training at the beginning of the new school year. To date, the school maintains that refusing to allow N to continue attending is in accordance with regulations. According to the Regulations on the Conditions for Accepting and Returning Children at Tuoi Tho Kindergarten, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dang Minh Chưởng, on July 12, 2013 (before the school began operations), Section 1 states that the school may refuse to care for a child if: “Parents show disrespect towards teachers, or make specific demands regarding the care, nurturing, and education of the child that cause difficulties for the school.” Explaining this decision, Mr. Dang Minh Chưởng said: “This is a regulation of Tuoi Tho Kindergarten. It is in the children's records.” However, according to Ms. An, she has never been aware of this regulation since enrolling her child.

However, even if it's a school regulation, it completely contradicts the operating regulations of the preschool. Ms. Le Thi Phuong, Deputy Head of the Education and Training Department of Vinh City, stated: "The preschool regulations do not contain any provisions regarding forced expulsion of students. And to date, no school has ever forced students to drop out; only students or parents have unilaterally withdrawn their children. Schools have their own regulations, but they must comply with state regulations and be publicly announced to the entire school, with the approval of the parents. This is a very regrettable incident, and the cause lies in the inappropriate behavior of both the school and the parents. The school should have invited the parents to a meeting to determine the cause. If the parents were at fault, they should have been asked to rectify the situation," Ms. Phuong said.

Whether it's the school's or the parents' fault, the fact that a 5-year-old child was forced to drop out of school is extremely regrettable, and ultimately, the child is the one who suffers. Ms. An stated: "The school informed the teacher about my child's expulsion and the information has spread everywhere. This affects the child's normal development and creates unnecessary stigma in society."

After being denied care at Tuoi Tho Kindergarten, the family requested that N. be enrolled in another kindergarten, interrupting her education for nearly two months. Responding to the question of whether the school considered the potential psychological and emotional consequences of the decision to discontinue the 5-year-old's education, Mr. Chuong stated: "There will certainly be an impact. However, the school consulted with the parents, so the mother has a responsibility to explain the situation to the child. The school's failure to provide written documentation or clear communication is the parents' responsibility."

Preschool education is the first level in the national education system, laying the foundation for the physical, intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic development of children. For 5-year-olds, this is a crucial developmental stage that shapes their physical strength, personality, and future intellectual abilities. This requires 5-year-old children to be fully prepared mentally to adapt to this new stage. Therefore, the goal set by Nghe An province for the universalization of education for 5-year-olds by the end of 2014 was to prioritize and ensure that 5-year-olds attend school to best prepare them for first grade. However, the incident at Tuoi Tho Preschool is extremely regrettable, seriously affecting the psychology, daily habits, and personality development of the children. It is thought that both the school and parents need to reflect on this issue and learn from the experience. Above all, the best interests of children must be prioritized in order to collectively create the best possible environment for their learning and holistic development.

Pham Bang