An expert from the Hanoi National University of Education said training in penmanship and arithmetic memorisation should be dropped from primary school education because it lacks real educational value.

Penmanship and arithmetic memorisation training little as far as practical results

Dr. Vu Thu Huong of the Primary Education Faculty of the university, said that such training methods take a lot of time both for teachers and students, but show little as far as practical results.

She added that surveys conducted in countries such as the UK, Germany, Hungary and France have shown that this type of training in young children does not reflect greater skills in math or language later in life.

Huong added that, "In many foreign countries, students are provided with knowledge of geography, biology, physics and chemistry from an early age. They are also taught about the cultures of different peoples and life skills, all of which are necessary for their future lives.” She added that first grade students in Vietnam lag behind in understanding the outside world and are not given the tools to decipher it through what they are taught in school, which is partially the fault of parents who focus too much on good marks.

According to Huong, penmanship and memorised mental calculation should only part of the curriculum for children in the first and second grade, and older children should move on to more challenging subjects such as spelling. For maths, she says, a shift from quick calculation to accuracy should be put in place.