Don't let the "reason outweigh the purpose"!

(Baonghean) - Editor's Note: Following the series of articles published by Nghe An Newspaper from September 29th to October 2nd titled "Regarding Parents Preventing Their Children from Attending School in Nghi Thiet Commune (Nghi Loc District)", many readers have sent feedback to the Editorial Board expressing their indignation at the behavior of the aforementioned parents, and their concern for the education of students in Nghi Thiet Commune who are prevented from attending school... Nghe An Newspaper would like to publish one of these reader responses:

Meanwhile, the students had already attended the new school for a full week, happily and diligently. As for the reasons behind this... many reasons were given by the parents!

Upon closer examination, there are no truly terrible reasons, and all of them are solvable. The dropout rate among students in Nghi Thiet commune is disheartening when thinking about the many children in the remote mountainous districts of the province who have to trek through mountains and streams all day just to get to school. Perhaps we shouldn't say that parents or students in mountainous areas value education more than parents and students in Nghi Thiet commune. Besides, in Nghi Thiet commune, the movement to promote education and talent has been quite strong in recent years, with many generations of students achieving success, some becoming professors and doctors, and many students gaining admission to universities and colleges each year. So what is the real issue? Is it simply that these parents are overly concerned and worried about their children's education?

If someone were to ask why their children are staying home from school, perhaps all the parents in Nghi Thiet commune (those who keep their children at home) could readily explain, but one thing is certain: they don't know that their children's education is one of the fundamental rights of children as stipulated in the Law on Protection, Care and Education of Children; and that hindering their education is an act strictly prohibited by law. Thus, besides causing unnecessary disadvantages to their children, these parents have inadvertently violated the law.

But before discussing the legal aspects of this story, we should first examine the feelings and responsibilities of the parents towards their children. Perhaps no one would argue that the parents who forced their children to stay home from school in Nghi Thiet commune are genuinely concerned about their children's education. If they were, why weren't they aware of the school merger plan (even though their children had already been attending school for a week)? And even if they were unaware, why did they forbid their children from attending the new, more spacious, well-equipped school when they learned that their children would be going to a new, larger, and better-equipped school? And if they were truly concerned, why did they force their children to stay home when the same number of parents in Nghi Thiet commune were still providing their children with the opportunity to study normally? The underlying issue is not the reasons mentioned above, but rather that many parents were manipulated and incited by some malicious individuals to prevent their children from attending school. The common goal of the government, schools, and families is to create better conditions for children's education. Children have the right to go to school to learn, and no one can prevent that. Therefore, parents in Nghi Thiet commune should be discerning enough to recognize the issue and not be exploited by malicious individuals, so that "the reason outweighs the purpose"!

Quang Bui(Nghi Loc)