VietNamNet Bridge – Though the 2011-2012 academic year would only finish in two weeks, a lot of nursery school students have left the schools since early May to go to writing practice classes. They need to be able to read and write before they enter the first grade.

Ngoc Hoa, a parent in Cau Giay district in Hanoi said that her daughter has stopped going to nursery school since the beginning of the year, because she needs to spend time on practicing writing and reading. Hoa said it’s the time for her daughter to learn how to read and write, or she would lag behind the classmates when entering the first grade.

“I did not force the elderly son to practice writing and reading before he went to primary school. As a result, his teacher always complained that he was late in solving mathematics questions and had bad handwriting. Therefore, I need to learn the lesson and send the second child to class right now,” she explained.

Hoa is not alone. Many other parents also think that it’s of no use to go to nursery school any more, and it’s time to practice reading and writing. Nguyen Thi Hue, Headmaster of the Vinh Hung Nursery School in Hoang Mai district has confirmed that 12 children have left the school since Tet, because their parents said they need to learn reading and writing.

Hue said that she failed to persuade the parents to allow their children to stay at the school. She also thinks that it’s too early to force children to practice writing. However, she said parents have every reason to do that: their children need to undergo a test before entering primary school; therefore, they need to make preparation for this.

A headmaster of a private nursery school in Cau Giay district said that in order to persuade parents to bring their children to the school, she has no other choice than committing to teach writing and reading to their children at the nursery school.

In big cities, most children can read and write before they go to primary school. It’s a growing tendency that children had been well prepared in knowledge before they enter the first grade.

A lot of parents oppose the literacy teaching to pre-school aged children. However, they have no other choice than asking their children to learn reading and writing beforehand, because they fear their children would lag behind the classmates.

The children, who still go to nursery school, have to spend their weekend or free time to go to writing practice classes. Quynh Van, a parent in Cau Giay district, said her daughter still goes to the Do Re Mi nursery school, but the girl has to spend three hours to practice writing with a retired primary school teacher.

Parents ignore the laws

The Ministry of Education and Training has released a decision prohibiting schools to teach the first grade curriculum to nursery school children. However, in order to retain five year old children, private nursery schools all have to teach writing and reading to children, despite the regulation.

Pham Thi Quy, Head of the Quynh Loi Nursery School in Hai Ba Trung district, has also affirmed that learning reading and writing beforehand has become a movement. Therefore, Quy has to assign the best teachers to run the classes of five-year old children who can best help the children successfully enter the first grade.

Source: NLD