Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha has decided that headmasters of schools must be responsible for any school violence cases taking place in their schools.

Sunday might be a day off for most kids, but one classroom in Nguyen Hue Secondary School in the central city of Da Nang is full of students on the day of rest every week.

Vietnam has seen a sharp increase in school violence, which has physically and mentally affected students and needs to be curbed quickly before it gets out of hand, according to experts.

Resorting to physical abuse to solve disputes is the choice of many people as violence is commended as a solution by some in society, leading to students’ misinterpretation of values.

Instead of suing the culprits, denouncing abusers to agencies, or seeking support from the community, victims of school physical abuse tend to conceal the cases and keep everything secret.

Despite great efforts and serious measures to prevent school violence cases, the number of such incidents is on the rise.

VietNamNet Bridge - “Will you incite your child to fight back  if he is attacked first?” 

Many parents have urged schools to install CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras in classes to prevent teachers’ abuse of students, but experts say the it will not solve the problem.

VietNamNet Bridge - A student was given 231 slaps on the face recently because he spoke badly of someone’s mother.

Psychology experts expressed concern over the increased number of deviant behaviors committed by youth after a 21-year-old female student threw her newborn through a 31st floor window.

The police reported that over 2,000 school violence cases were discovered last year in Vietnam. However, only a few hundred cases were reported by the education sector.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many students are concerned about their future careers and want to improve the education sector to change society's perception of teaching careers. 

A third grader in Hai Phong was forced to drink water wrung from a board-cleaning cloth. Other students have been told to eat chilis or drink soapy water. 

VietNamNet Bridge - The reports about school scandals have caused concern among parents and educators. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Tran Thi Minh Chau, a math teacher at Long Thoi High School in HCMC, did not say one word while teaching students in the last four months. 

A research project carried out by Plan International found connections between domestic violence and physical abuse at school. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Students fight each other, teachers slap students’ faces, parents assault teachers — school violence has been escalating recently.

Experts have warned schools about the need to ensure security for students as the number of accidents has arisen. 

VietNamNet Bridge - While schools and parents applaud the idea of installing cameras in and outside schools to ensure security, students say this will be an interference in their private lives.

Psychologists believe that school violence continues because society doesn’t condemn the behavior. If adults remain silent after seeing students fight, children won’t rise up against violence, they say.