VietNamNet Bridge – Professional ethics proves to be the best supervisor at schools, and only teachers’ love towards their students can help them do their job well. Installing cameras at schools is the last resolution, said Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Head of the Pre-school Education Division under the HCM City Education and Training Department.

Kindergarten cameras aim to reduce abuse

The information that the HCM City Education and Training Department allows kindergartens in the city to install cameras in order to help prevent classroom abuses has become a widely discussed topic on education forums. Some people believe that installing cameras in classrooms is a good idea as this will allow the supervision of children and teachers. After the incident involving Tran Thi Xuan Nu, a teacher who put a child into a lift, thus causing severe injuries to him, people call for measures to prevent maltreatment at schools.

Could you please tell us more about the plan by the city’s Education and Training Department to install cameras at kindergarten classrooms?

It is true that the possibility of installing cameras in classrooms has been discussed, but the Department has not made the final decision. However, I personally think that headmasters of kindergartens should think carefully first.

You still say that schools need to “think carefully”, while many schools have installed cameras already. Do you think this is an effective measure to reduce the number of classroom abuses?

There are always two sides of a coin. But I think schools should only use cameras as the last resolution.

In fact, children’s activities cannot be supervised only by cameras, because children do not stay in the same places, they can be in classrooms, on the school yards, in corridors, or toilets.

Meanwhile, cameras will create psychological pressure on teachers. They will feel that someone is supervising them and they do not get sufficient respect.

A civilized society should not use this measure. Twenty years ago, cameras were used in classrooms in France. However, the measure began to be strongly opposed by teachers, who felt that they had to work in an environment where they were not respected.

Besides, in order to install cameras, every school needs to spend tens of millions dong, and then more on their regular maintenance. .

What should we do to improve the management and teaching quality at kindergartens?

Schools need to build afriendly atmosphere for teachers and students. It is Professional ethics, not camera, which is the best supervisor at schools, and only teachers’ love towards their students can help them do their work well.

People have warned that similar maltreatment cases may occur in the future, because many children are brought to low quality household-run classes. How should this problem be addressed?

The problem now is that most of the immigrants are poor and they have to bring their children to the household-run classes which are cheaper. However, the classes are not licensed and only provide most basic conditions. They lack necessary facilities and teaching staff. This is really an urgent problem within developed urban areas.

Thai Phuong