VietNamNet Bridge – Many of the indices are unnecessary, others unfeasible, vague or identical — experts have expressed their views about the draft standards for the development of 5-year-old children.

Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, Headmaster of Kim Lien Kindergarten in Dong Da district in Hanoi

Regarding the ‘too easy’ standards, Nguyet cited two indices belonging to the physical development standard: children need to be able to button and unbutton their jackets; and hold a rice bowl and feed themselves.

Nguyet affirmed that 5-year-old students can do these things easily. She said she and her colleagues begin teaching children to do them when they are 3.

Standard 24 about the awareness of directions in space has also been cited by Nguyet as a ‘too easy’ requirement. All children at the age of five can differentiate between above and below, right and left.

Meanwhile, Nguyet said, there are ‘unfeasible’ indices that are too difficult for 5-year-old children.

Standard 29, for example, requires children to have creativeness and show originality in games and music, which Nguyet believes can be met only by children who really have aptitudes for the subjects.

Nguyet also pointed out a lot of problems in the draft standards. For example, children need to ‘find a way to settle disputes’ or ‘accept the assignment of teams’ — wording which she believes just can be used for adults.

“I read the standard ’Children need to know how to pour water into a glass without spilling’ and I could not understand the requirement here. The question is where do they pour the water from. If children just need to press a button to get water from a water tank, they will never spill water, including smaller, 3-year-old children,” Nguyet said.

Nguyen went on to say that it would be unfeasible to apply the standards to all children across the country.

The index of ‘showing interest in reading books’ (looking at books to see, asking others to read books to them, reading like adults, or reading books with friends) is, according to Nguyet, also unfeasible.

She said that the standard compilers should understand that it is very difficult to get books to read in rural and remote areas, and it is also difficult to find people who can read books to children in those places.

Moreover, the physical conditions of children in different areas are different; therefore, it is unsuitable to apply the same standards to different children.

Regarding the standards on physical development, Nguyen Thi Lam, Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Institute, said that the standards ‘forget’ to mention detailed indices about the height, weight of boys and girls.

Cam Quyen