VietNamNet Bridge - “I raised my hand towards my student and gave him a slap as he irritated me by answering me back,” is a sentence written by a teacher found in an “advice column” of a local newspaper. It has kindled an argument about teachers’ behavior in local schools.

The teacher, when describing the story, tried to prove that punishment, to some extent, is necessary in education.

She wrote that the mother of the student who had been slapped met her and thanked her for doing it. 

“The mother, before the class, apologized to the teacher for her son’s bad conduct and blamed herself for the boy’s behavior,” she wrote. “The mother said ‘thank you for your slap’ ”.

The mother believed that the teacher did well in this case. If the teacher had not punished the student for his misconduct, the student would have grown up into a naughty student of the school and useless citizen of society.

“Insolent behavior must be punished,” the mother then told the teacher.

The slap has unexpectedly become a hot topic of discussion on education forums. There are two different viewpoints on the issue. Some parents believe the teacher’s behavior is unacceptable in a school environment. Others say this is a useful education method.

Agreeing with the teacher, Tunggiang85 commented: “Life is not all sunshine and roses. One slap will not kill anyone. No matter whether the teacher is right or wrong, I would not feel pained if my child receives a slap.”

The father said everyone would meet problems and wrongs in their lives. If they always expect protection from parents, they will never be able to become independent.

“I myself would beat my child on his face when he makes mistakes, let alone the teachers who have to take care of dozens of students at the same time,” he said.

Hoang Thi Ha Anh, an office worker, admitted that she and her husband usually disagree on how to educate their son.

Anh’s husband, who lived with his parents in Germany since childhood and received a western education, believes that no one, including teachers, has the right to beat students.

Meanwhile, Anh, who received a traditional education from Vietnamese parents, believes that the rod is a part of education.

“When my husband read the article, he said it is necessary to punish the teacher who punished her student with a slap. But this sounds normal to me, because I received slaps when I was small,” Anh said.

“My parents believe that the slaps they gave to me in my childhood helped me grow up well and succeed in my life,” she added.

A parent with the nickname ‘lube’ on an education forum said the teacher was completely wrong to hit her students.

Ngan Anh