VietNamNet Bridge
September 19th, 2010

Rising violence in schools is being blamed on poor moral education and life skills by educational experts.

"School violence is increasing at an alarming rate. . . "

The announcement follows the death of three students and the serious injury to three others this week.
Pham Van Hoang, a 16-year-old student at Dong Hoi High School in Quang Binh Province, stabbed Vo Nhat Hoan, 16, and Cao Duc Son Ngoc, 18, on Thursday. Hoan later died in hospital the same day.

Meanwhile, Ha Minh Cuong, a 15-year-old student at Nguyen Trung Truc Secondary School in HCM City, was killed during a fight with a group of students from Go Vap District’s lifelong education centre on Monday. One student was seriously injured and is recovering in hospital.

Last Saturday, Huynh Ngoc Thach, a 18-year-old student at Dak Song High School in Dak Nong Province, stabbed Nguyen Van Hai to death. Two other students were seriously injured.

In an unrelated incident, a video clip showed a group of students violently attacking a fellow pupil at Ha Huy Tap High School in Vinh City, Nghe An Province. It was posted on the internet yesterday. Nguyen Thi Ha Nhu was brutally beaten until her mother intervened.

"School violence is increasing at an alarming rate. It has little to do with individual aggression but more to do with rivalries among gangs who have dangerous weapons such as knives and swords," teacher Tran Huu Tru, a senior official at the Ministry of Education and Training, said.

Le Nguyen Quynh Thi, a lawyer from the HCM City Bar Association, said the law was too lax.

"Most students seem to have no idea about how dangerous getting in fights can be. They believe they are below the criminal age," Thi said.

He said schools had a moral responsibility to do more than simply expel violent pupils.

Vinh City Police said on Friday it regularly liaised with teaching staff and students at Ha Huy Tap High School in a bid to curb violence.

Police deputy director Tran Sy Phang said students involved in violence risked criminal prosecution.