student – VIETNAM STAR

16 isolated in HCMC after student diagnosed with diphtheria

Daisy Nguyen — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 11:00:48 +0000

A 20-year-old student in HCMC was diagnosed with diphtheria, prompting health authorities to isolate 16 people who had been in close contact with him.

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Ba Hieu of the infectious diseases department at the 175 Military Hospital, where the unidentified patient is being treated, said on Thursday he had been hospitalized nine days earlier with fever, a sore throat and swelling in the jaw and neck.

He later tested positive for diphtheria.

The hospital quickly worked together with local authorities to isolate 16 people who had written exams along with him. All tested negative for diphtheria but were given prophylactics.

The patient is now stable and no longer has fever or sore throat, Hieu said.

He is a student at a military school in the city, Vietnam News Agency reported.

HCMC is the second locality in Vietnam to report a diphtheria outbreak this year after Dak Nong Province in the Central Highlands, where 12 people were diagnosed with it this month. A nine-year-old girl died and another patient is in critical condition.

Diphtheria, which can be prevented with vaccination, is an infection caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheria bacterium. It spreads through air and direct contact. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, swallowing difficulty, and white patches in the throat that could block the airway.

Complications include myocarditis, kidney problems, respiratory failure, inflammation of nerves, coma, and death.

Last year a seven-year-old girl in Dak Lak Province near Dak Nong succumbed to the disease.

In 2017 and 2018 six people died in Kon Tum and Quang Nam Provinces.

The country has managed to contain the disease for years through a national vaccination and immunization program.

This article was originally published in Vnexpress

Hanoi preschools and primary schools reopen after 3-month break

Daisy Nguyen — Mon, 11 May 2020 06:18:09 +0000

Schools in Hanoi city are requested to implement rules on Covid-19 prevention and respond promptly to any health incidents related to the pandemic.

Preschool children and elementary students in Hanoi have returned to schools after a theee-month break due to the risk of Covid-19 infection, Kinhtedothi.vn reported.

The schools have been disinfected many times and the teaching plans are adjusted to suit the pandemic evolution.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training Pham Xuan Tien said that his department has issued detailed guidances to educational institutions in the city about Covid-19 prevention and control.

Schools in the city are requested to implement the regulations on Covid-19 prevention and respond promptly to any health incidents related to the pandemic.

Besides, training and operation plans have been changed. Today’s first lesson is about activities to provide knowledge and anti-Covid-19 skills for all students.

All the pending teaching contents must be delivered before July 15.

Hanoi schools have discussed online with parents to agree on the scenario of taking and picking up children on weekdays, as recommended by the Ministry of Health and the municipal authorities.

Some schools have still recommended that parents should let their children wear face masks while in classes and prepare them personal amenities.

Not all students would have lunch at the same time but in shift to avoid gathering. They are asked to avoid contact with others of different classes.

On May 10 afternoon, inspection teams of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training reviewed schools in the city to support their teaching plans and taking care of students with a view to ensuring a safe return to school.

Source: Hanoitimes

Teach children with love, not harsh discipline

Daisy Nguyen — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:03:05 +0000

An eighth-grade student at the HCM City-based Ngô Quyền Secondary School has recently been disciplined for slandering BTS – a popular K-pop group, and its fandom on a social networking site.
The schoolboy created the page “ANTI bts in VietNam” on June 27 and posted obscene messages and photos about the band and its fans, known as the ARMY.
The page angered Vietnamese fans, and they reported his behaviour to the school.
As a result, the student was suspended from November 6-9. His moral score – a score that Vietnamese schools use to evaluate the behaviour of students – has also been marked down to the lowest possible level until the end of the term. He was also made to read a letter he wrote criticising himself in front of the whole school last Tuesday.
And that’s not the end of it. A video of the student reading the letter, which lasts nearly 2 minutes, was posted on the school’s Facebook page. The clip was then shared thousands of times including on pages with millions of followers.
It has immediately sparked a debate about discipline among parents, teachers and experts nationwide.
Some approve of the measures taken against the boy, saying he deserved it. However, many think it’s too harsh, inappropriate and counter-productive. They are afraid it could cause psychological harm to the student.
Emotional abuse
Phạm Quý Thuận, a student’s parent, said educational methods changed over time.
“But all the methods aim to make children change in a positive direction,” he said.
In this case, the school should think about the child’s psychology first. Would the punishment change his behaviour in a positive way or would he feel ashamed, scared or develop a strong sense of inferiority that might affect his studies and psychological development, Thuận said.
Nguyễn Hoàng Chương, principal of Lộc Phát High School in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, said schools often disciplined their students following Circular No 08/TT, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training in 1988, and Circular No 12/2011/TT-BGDDT, issued by the ministry in 2011. However, neither of these documents include anything about making students embarrass themselves in front of the whole school.
“This form of discipline will stigmatise the student. It is emotional abuse,” he added.
In this case, the school should have worked with the student’s parents to fix the problem. Parents had to take responsibility for children’s bad attitudes, he said.
Khuất Thu Hồng, president of the Institute for Social Development Studies, said she also felt the punishment was too harsh.
“The student abused a boy band on a social networking site, but the school shamed him before thousands of people,” she said.
From a psychological perspective, it could badly hurt the student’s self-esteem, she added.
Hồng said any student could take things too far on social networks because they had not been taught how to behave correctly online.
In a related movement, the ministry on Monday ordered HCM City’s Education and Training Department to report on the case.
Bùi Văn Linh, head of the ministry’s Political Education and Student Affairs Department, said the punishment was inappropriate.
Linh said any discipline should be based on the principle of respect and to promote positive changes among students, while avoiding hurting them.
So, what should the school do to address this mess?
First, it should revoke the disciplinary decision and remove the video from Facebook. Next it should sit down with the student’s parents to discuss how to teach him not to repeat the same mistake in the future. Last, the school also needs to teach all students how to behave appropriately on social networking sites.
Teach students with patience and love, not harsh disciplines!— VNS
BTS is a South Korean boy group, formed and managed by Big Hit Entertainment. The seven-member group officially debuted on June 13, 2013. In 2017, BTS entered the international music market, leading the Korean wave into the US and breaking many sales records. It became the first Korean group to receive a Gold Certificate from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), awarded with the single “Mic Drop”.
In 2018, BTS became the first K-pop group to speak at the United Nations on September 24, in an effort to empower young people. They are the youngest people ever to receive a Cultural Medal from the South Korean President for the group’s contributions to spreading South Korea’s culture and language.
Source: VNS

Vietnamese student uses ‘hidden cam’ to record teacher molestation during private tuition

Daisy Nguyen — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 08:02:30 +0000

A math teacher in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong has been sentenced to three years in prison for molesting a ninth-grade schoolgirl during a private tuition class at his home, with the victim covertly recording his lewd acts for proof using her smartphone.
Nguyen Van Duc, 59, stood his trial at the People’s Court in the province’s Thu Dau Mot City on Wednesday.
He was convicted of molesting an under 16 year old person and was put behind bars for three years.
According to the indictment, Duc used to teach math at a local school for the gifted.
He later became deputy director of a business unit under the provincial Department of Education and Training and had since only offered private tuition classes at his home.
In October 2018, C. a ninth-grade schoolgirl signed up for a class at Duc’s house as she prepared for the National High School Examination.
During a class in November the same year, Duc touched C.’s breast while she was taking notes of the lesson.
The girl resisted by pushing his hand away.
The teacher then went outside for a brief moment, thus C. decided to turn on the camera app on her smartphone and switch the camera mode to video recording.
As Duc returned, he continued groping her, this time putting his hand under her shirt. The act was recorded by the ‘hidden camera’ set up by C.
The girl later recalled the incident to her family members, who then reported it to police officers along with the video footage.
The schoolgirl claimed it was not the first time she had been molested by Duc.
At Wednesday’s trial, the teacher admitted to molesting her during the lesson in November 2018, but denied having inappropriate actions on any other day.
Duc added he had consumed alcohol prior to the incident and was unable to control his urge.
C. had stopped studying at Duc’s house following the incident.
Source: Tuoitrenews

Vietnamese university student raises $2.88 million for education

Daisy Nguyen — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:04:54 +0000

A Vietnamese woman has raised US$2.88 million through speeches at an event sponsored by the non-profit organization Room to Read, enabling thousands of female students in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to rise above poverty through education.
At a Room to Read event in Hong Kong this past February, Dinh Thi Kim Thuy confidently spoke to an audience of approximately 200 potential donors, explaining the importance that their contributions could have on impoverished young women in rural areas of Vietnam’s southern region.
Thuy, a first-year student at Can Tho University in the namesake city, eventually managed to raise $2.88 million for children in her country.
Room to Read is a U.S.-based non-profit organization for improving literacy and gender equality in education in the developing world.
The organization, which currently operates in 16 different countries, first began working in Vietnam in 2001.
So far, the organization has built around 1,400 different libraries in 25 Vietnamese provinces and supported the education of over 6,000 female students from poverty-stricken areas in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
Much of the money Room to Read contributes toward its initiatives is raised at events where would-be donors listen to first-hand accounts from young women who have directly benefited from the organization.
Needless to say, the amount of money raised depends heavily on the speaker.
The $2.88 million fund Thuy managed to solicit at the Hong Kong event broke Room to Read’s record.
“She’s a professional speaker!” remarked Huynh My Ngoc, a Room to Read technical staffer who attended the event.
After hearing Thuy’s give her speech so confidently in English, few at the event could believe that she had the lowest English command among the Room to Read speakers that day.
“We have brought many female students who matured through the program to participate in fundraising events in Singapore, Sweden, Japan, and France, but none of them have ever had as little English as Thuy,” Ngoc said.
“However, she’s been our best speaker so far.”
Even more surprising is that Thuy wrote her speech herself, relying only on Room to Read employees to help correct any spelling and grammar mistakes.
Then, to prepare, she made visits to touristic areas near her dormitory in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to practice English by talking to foreign visitors.
The rest of her spare time was spent practicing her speech.
Source: Tuoitrenews

Teacher fired after being caught beating children

Vietnam Star — Tue, 21 May 2019 13:32:48 +0000

A primary teacher in Hai Phong City has been fired for hitting several pupils while doing an exam.
On May 8, parents of Hoang Gia Duc, a pupil at Class 2A7 at Quan Toan Primary School, reported that his face was swollen and his legs had red marks after being beaten by his teacher, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang. Duc’s parents also reported to the police.
Trang has been suspended for six months and banned from performing in the role of head teacher for one year.
However, on May 15, Duc’s parents released a video clip in which Trang had beaten many pupils while they were taking an exam. Duc is the one who was beaten the most. In the clip, another teacher, Le Thi Van also hit two pupils until they cried.
Hong Bang District People’s Committee concluded that the punishments were too light since Trang had slapped and beaten several pupils, upsetting the parents and pupils alike. Her action badly affected the school and the education sector of the district.
After the case was brought to light, Trang didn’t visit and apologise to the pupils in time. Pham Thi Van should also be punished.
Hong Bang District People’s Committee asked Quan Toan Primary School to fire Pham Thi Trang and punish Pham Thi Van accordingly. They must report the results back to the district people’s committee by May 21. Quan Toan Primary School was asked to work with the parents’ committee at school to hold a meeting to apologise to the pupils at Class 2A7.
Hong Bang District Department of Internal Affairs was asked to review and reprimand the management board of Quan Toan Primary School.
Source: Dtinews

Should students use mobile phones in schools?

Vietnam Star — Sun, 19 May 2019 16:23:19 +0000

Though school regulations do not allow students to use mobile phones in classes, I’ve seen many cases, including my nephews, carrying smartphones and using them publicly in schools.
Mobile phones, especially smartphones, have become an essential part of our daily lives. I can’t imagine going one day without touching my iPhone, as I need to make calls, reply to messages, draft emails, and scroll my social feeds. Of course, I’m already an adult.
I first had my phone about 10 years ago when I was 16, and I felt okay with having it at that age. However, I believe that’s not the case these days as even my 10-year-old nephew has asked his father for a phone.
That’s why when I noticed the topic of phones in schools, I had mixed feelings as to whether mobile phones are beneficial or distracting for students.
I spoke with four people, two of them four or five years younger than me, and the others two years older, and they all agreed that mobile phones can have either positive or detrimental effects on students, depending on how adults guide them.
“I have a younger sister who is 15 years old,” Ngọc Anh, 25, said. “She was given my dad’s old mobile phone two years ago. It’s from Nokia and my sister is perfectly fine with it since she has been taught to use the phone to call my dad after school for pick up and emergency cases only.”
Meanwhile, my aunt, 48, told me that my nephew’s inability to live without his phone had become a frustration for her family.
“Huy An is now 16, and I allowed him to have a smartphone about three to four years ago. I didn’t think much as Huy An was familiar with using my iPad, and I didn’t have time to carefully take care of him so I thought a phone could make his life easier, as well as make myself feel less guilty,” my aunt said.
“Now his teachers have told me that Huy An constantly watches YouTube videos during class, so I’ve become particularly concerned,” she added.
My aunt’s case isn’t rare as many parents are encountering a similar problem.
According to educational experts, it’s difficult for anyone to not have a smartphone these days since they are essential items.
Xuân Nhã, 34, a teacher at a secondary school in HCM City, told me that she often saw her students hide their phones under their skirts, texts under desks, or use “bathroom passes” to finish posting their thoughts to social media.
“This has occurred for about four to five years. I was upset at first as phones distracted my students from listening to my lectures, but I came to realise that there’s nothing I can do to stop students from carrying their phones to school,” she said
“That’s when I started to set some class rules and be strict with my punishment. I informed parents at a teacher-parent meet-and-greet session at the beginning of the academic year about how I would keep a student’s phone if I spotted one using his or her phone during my lecture,” she said.
“Of course, students’ phones are not mine to keep forever, so I will return them at the end of the academic year,” she added.
Nhã said that most students’ parents had been supportive and that surprisingly her new students had made life much easier for her.
“My ninth grade students recently taught me to use kahoot.it, a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn a subject. Instead of handling out 15-minute quizzes like every teacher has done, my students told me to create multiple-choice quizzes on kahoot.it and let students join the game using their smartphones!” she said.
“It’s interactive and so much fun! Smartphones can be excellent learning devices.” Nhã said, adding that she’d found using phones in class to be positive as well.
Being tech-savvy myself, I still have doubts about letting students or even my future children carrying phones to school.
However, thinking back about how I got through that “chaotic period” when first having a smartphone, I have experiences that I would like to share to ones in need.
When I first got an iPhone, which was around the 12th grade, I was quite aware of the negative impact a smartphone could have, partly because I wrote so many assignments on the topic and also because my mother was straightforward with how she would like me to use my phone.
With that said, parents’ support and guidance plays an important role in how to make mobile phones, especially smartphones, useful devices for their kids.
From my research, effective communication between parents and their children is not only essential to their relationships but also for the children’s well-being.
If parents communicate openly and effectively and both sides contribute to the conversation, chances are that their children will feel respected and easily understand the matter.
My aunt agreed with me, adding that, “Since children these days are very smart, we shouldn’t try to ban them from using the phones, but should introduce smartphones into their lives in a ‘smart’ way.”
“I’ve done it with Huy Mạnh, Huy An’s younger brother, and so far, he’s doing great!” my aunt said.
In addition to parents’ support, Hoài Thương, 23, said that giving student digital breaks between lessons could be a great idea for schools to use to limit the potential distraction in class.
“I think keeping a close eye on how mobile phones are being used in schools has sort of become teachers’ new duty in the modern era,” Thương added.
The use of mobile phones these days can bring about both negativity and positivity for students. It’s a balancing act between teachers and parents to educate them on how to use mobile phones effectively.
Banning mobile phones is not the ultimate solution.
Source: VNS