Vietnam’s fines for academic pressure are a wake-up call

New decree may fail to remove invisible pressures if parents, teachers, and society refuse to change.

For the first time, Vietnam has imposed legal penalties on parents who pressure their children to study beyond their capacity.

Under Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP, part of the new administrative regulations on domestic violence, social evils and public order, “forcing family members to study excessively” is now classified as psychological abuse, punishable by fines of 5–10 million dong (US$200-400).

Other forms of family neglect or abuse — mistreating the elderly, pregnant women or people with disabilities — carry fines of up to 20 million dong.

This legal milestone marks the first official recognition that “study pressure” is a form of violence. It challenges deep-rooted Confucian traditions that demand unquestioning obedience to parents and treat education as an adult’s domain.

Culture of achievement turned toxic

Treating study pressure as a form of family violence exposes the alarming scale of achievement anxiety gripping Vietnamese families — a pressure fed not only by parents but also by the education system itself.

An Education and Training Ministry survey in 2024 found 67 percent of high school students felt extreme stress before exams, and one in four showed signs of depression. Long school hours, endless homework and constant online study have left many anxious, sleep-deprived and exhausted.

Therese Vo Thi Hao from Khanh Hoa province said her two children, aged 13 and 15, spend nearly every waking hour studying. “After school, they go to tutoring centers until after nine at night, sometimes waking at 4 a.m. to finish homework,” she said.

“If I don’t push them, they’ll waste time playing.”

She smiled with pride that one of her children came top among hundreds of peers last year — though behind that pride lies exhaustion shared by parents and children.

Such stories reflect a system that rewards compliance over curiosity. Many students cram to cope, not to understand. When faced with unfamiliar problems, they falter — products of an education model that measures effort by hours and marks rather than by creativity or joy.

Gold medals, but little innovation

Over the past decade, Vietnamese students have won 112 gold, 140 silver, and 89 bronze medals, plus 21 certificates of merit at international Olympiads in math, physics, chemistry, biology and informatics. The country consistently ranks among the top ten worldwide in these subjects.

Yet Vietnam has no Nobel laureates, no globally recognized scientific breakthroughs, and few innovators who change the world.

The system produces outstanding test-takers, not independent thinkers. It celebrates discipline and diligence, but stifles imagination — a void that no medal can fill.

“Overstudy” will persist as long as grades remain the only standard of success. Real reform must start with how students are evaluated: reduce homework, lighten curricula, and design exams that reward critical thinking and self-learning — essential skills for the digital age.

When children have time to rest, their curiosity returns. Those who engage in sports, music, or art develop stronger emotional intelligence and social skills than peers trapped in an endless race of lessons and tests.

Parents caught in the race

Many parents still believe that “a child who surpasses their parents brings the family honor.” They push their children relentlessly — often to fulfill dreams they themselves never achieved.

But that path is lonely and exhausting. Wealthier families can afford tutors and elite programs, while poorer parents sacrifice savings to keep up — widening inequality and fueling resentment.

At its core, this obsession stems from fear and insecurity. Without lighter curricula or fairer exams, adults will continue projecting their anxieties onto children, mistaking pressure for love.

It is a painful irony that many children have schedules heavier than working adults — and that this is seen as normal.

Worse still is adults’ indifference to children’s emotional fatigue.

Are parents and teachers at fault for allowing children to grow up trapped in a tyranny of scores, where grades define worth?

The daily question — “What mark did you get today?” — replaces “What good did you do today?”

We blame the young for lacking empathy or life skills, but who built the tracks they are forced to run on? Who celebrated achievement over kindness or integrity?

Education as a shared journey

An elderly teacher once said, “Students who know how to listen, apologize, or offer a seat to the elderly do more to build a good society than those who win national contests.”

True education is not about passing exams but becoming human. Success lies not in perfect transcripts but in living meaningfully — knowing how to love, to persevere, and to rise after failure.

I have met teachers who refuse to teach extra classes so students can rest, and parents who cook, play, or talk with their children instead of forcing more study. Education begins with kindness, understanding, and companionship.

Adults must learn to release rigid expectations, respect every child’s individuality, and view education as a journey of the heart, not a race for grades.

A happy, confident child who knows how to love will contribute far more to society than one who is emotionally empty but academically perfect.

Vietnam’s new decree may fine parents who push their children too hard, but it will fail to remove invisible pressures if parents, teachers, and society refuse to change.

Education, ultimately, is not just a promise to the young — it is a moral commitment by adults to the future of humanity.

The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) – November 17, 2025