6 - Education of Children and the Future

Summary

EDUCATION IN VIETNAM

How do the villagers of Long Tuyen pursue education? What is its purpose and what role does it play in their lives, particularly in the midst of uncertainties associated with their family farming? In fact, education is one of the few means people have to secure a better future.

When talking about education (giao duc), villagers often refer to two kinds of education: one in family and the other at school. Education in the family setting is generally considered important. Within the family, people explain, education determines the relationships among members, particularly parents and children, and determines each family's way of life. Many parents talk, sometimes proudly, about how they educate their children. Some parents, by contrast, lament the difficulty of educating their children well at home. The importance of family education is recognized not only by each family, but also by the whole society. The family is once again recognized as the main social unit in contemporary Vietnam, so education is seen as crucial also to the development of the whole society. Through education family and society are closely connected. Thus, education at home is not only familial, but also social.

Education at school is also both familial and social. Especially, many families consider school education important for the children in the face of difficult social conditions. However there exist many problems that villagers are now facing in providing their children with a school education and people are struggling to secure a stable future through education for themselves and their children. Although school lies outside of the family space, it is closely interrelated with the family and its existence in contemporary society. Family views of the future as well as the present are often manifested in school education.

FAMILY EDUCATION

Education at home is thought to affect the children's lives. Uncle Bay tells me, “I taught my children to be honest, so they have no problem in their lives right now.” He thinks that some of his children are doing quite well in agriculture and others have good jobs because they are good people and they work diligently. In his opinion, good family education has helped his children to be good people and have good life. He believes one of the major purposes of family education is to teach children good morality and values, and honesty is especially important.