VietNamNet Bridge – Children should be taught life skills at an early age, educational experts told the Khoa hoc and Doi song (Science and Life) newspaper.

* Doctor of Education Truong Thi Kim Oanh

In my opinion the teaching of life skills should start with a simple daily behaviour. For example, for a three year-old child, parents should teach how to put away toys after playing and when and how to wash hands. In other words, they learn life skills right in their home under the guidance of their parents. This is the best way to learn the skills for a three year-old child.

* Doctor Phan Quoc Viet, director of the Tam Viet Training Centre for Life Skills

Learning life skills is more than simply learning general skills. It includes shaping a person's characteristics – honesty, bravery, humanity and uprightness as well as behaviours in different situations. When we talk about life skills we cannot forget to mention the skill of children presenting ideas they want to express. In my opinion, we should teach life skills to children when they are three years old. This is the right time to teach them, neither too early nor too late.

* MA on Education Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Dean of the Psychology Faculty, Sai Gon University, HCM City

Our current education system tends to lean on teaching theory to students and almost forgets to provide them with life skills. That's one of the reasons why our children's behaviours are weak.

In my opinion, extra-curricular activities or children's clubs could compensate for the shortage; the children acquire their life skills through these daily activities. And, a very important point I want to emphasise here is the role of parents in teaching life skills.

* Teacher Le Van Anh from the Trung Tu Primary School, in Ha Noi

Teaching the life skills to children at an early age will help them shape their own life. We should teach them how to communicate with others, how to take care of themselves and how to handle difficulties they may face in life. But one thing I recommend parents should not do is force their children to learn or attend activities that they don't want to during their summer time.

* Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, an employee from Ha Noi

Teaching life skills can take place anywhere, at home, in a public place or in the playground. It starts with the very simple things we do everyday. That's why, in my opinion, teaching children life skills should take place with specific conditions – combing theory with practice. And parents are great teachers.

* Pham Huong Giang, from Tay Ho Precinct, Ha Noi

At summer time, I often send my children to life skills training courses. In addition, I also send them to other courses suited to their interests, including music, painting or cooking. After attending these courses I find my children grow up very quickly and adapt proper behaviours in various situations.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News