However, to make this approach successful requires thorough preparation and strong commitment from both administrators and teachers.

After an article about a vice principal who abandoned monitors and greeted students with handshakes was published on VietNamNet, many parents and readers sent letters and comments supporting the idea of education through love and positivity.

Reader Sang Vu wrote: “That’s how school should be: walking through the gate and being greeted with smiles and handshakes instead of worrying about getting punished.”

Agreeing with this, reader Pham Khanh My emphasized that having each class on duty and lining up to welcome friends helps students develop a sense of responsibility. 

Reader Duong Ha Linh and parent Cam Tu Cau suggested ending the “red star” system that penalizes students, to create a more relaxed, pressure-free environment for children.

Many people shared the same view that such practices should be researched and expanded. Only when students no longer feel distant from their teachers can they truly absorb knowledge, develop character, and gain confidence in life.

What do educators say?

Dr Nguyen Hoang Chuong, former principal of Loc Phat High School (Lam Dong Province), said that replacing punishment with recognition, greetings, and support is a great initiative that spreads positive energy in education. 

According to Chuong, when students make small mistakes, such as forgetting their badge or red scarf, instead of being scared, sneaking in, or lying, they can confidently go to class knowing they will be reminded and forgiven. This, he said, encourages affection and respect toward teachers instead of fear or defiance.

He recalled that during his years as principal, he saw many students skip class out of fear of teachers and punishment. Some classrooms were so silent that anyone walking by the hallway could feel the tension: a strict teacher standing on the podium while one or two students standing sheepishly by the door being punished for being late.

"In the past, many schools applied the philosophy of 'learning etiquette first' or 'spare the rod, spoil the child' too rigidly, creating a great distance between teachers and students. Many teachers still used rulers or canes in class to punish students instead of a handshake or a smile. This formed a vicious cycle: the principal scolded the teacher, and the teacher punished the student. Everyone overlooked the students' sense of emptiness, widening the gap between teacher and student," he said.

Chuong noted that abandoning student monitors for fault-finding and replacing this habit with welcoming students into the class is not a new idea, but few schools apply it. 

In recent years, as the education sector has implemented the "happy school" model, many schools have adopted it, but it remains formalistic and rigid. If any unit implements it effectively, it's often little known and not widely spread due to poor communication.

Challenges and opportunities 

According to Chuong, for positive change, education must be flexible and suitable to the culture and conditions of each school and level of education. Instead of applying it every day, this can be done on a rotational or weekly basis, coordinated closely among the school board, teachers, parents, and students, with a spirit of perseverance, focusing on on-the-spot education, especially for students who violate rules repeatedly.

Pham Thi Thuong Huyen, Principal of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School (Quang Tri), believes that the way deputy principal Ben welcomes students is highly commendable and can offer other schools a different perspective on the teacher-student relationship.

She praised the spirit of education taught with love and positive discipline. 

"Students learn better when they have positive emotions and feel accepted and respected," she said. However, for schools with thousands of students, maintaining a daily welcome with smiles and handshakes is not feasible. If not organized methodically, this could easily become a formality, or even be counterproductive, she said

Huyen emphasized that positive discipline does not mean relaxing discipline or abolishing monitors or Red Star, but rather means being consistent in training, and combining various forms and methods suitable to each student. Each school should choose its own suitable method, not machine-copy from others.

To understand student psychology, Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School organizes dialogue sessions to find out what students like or dislike most about school, which activities they find interesting, and how they want the school to change. Through this, the school board and teachers grasp students' thoughts and feelings, aiming to build a safe and friendly learning environment.

Hoang Linh