The only male student studying preschool was laughed at, many people spoke up

(Dan Tri) - Facing ridicule and discrimination aimed at him, Le Trung Nghia, the only male student who was recently admitted to the Preschool Education department, said: "Prejudice is society's, my job is to live a decent and useful life."

"Prejudice is society's, my job is to live kindly"

In recent days, information about Le Trung Nghia, the only male student admitted to the Faculty of Early Childhood Education , Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, class 51, has attracted the attention of the online community. On many forums, there are even comments mocking and ridiculing this male student.

Le Trung Nghia, the only male student of the 51st course, Faculty of Preschool Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (Photo: TN).

Facing the ridicule and prejudiced comments about him and his career choice, Le Trung Nghia humbly said to Dan Tri reporter: “Prejudice is a social problem, and how you live and choose is up to you. When you live a kind and honest life, doing useful things will change some prejudices. Luckily, I have the support of my family, teachers, and friends when I choose to be a preschool teacher.”

Nghia also aims to become a dedicated, enthusiastic, cheerful, energetic, professionally qualified and creative preschool teacher.

Faced with prejudice and ridicule aimed at a student who tried hard to get into a major with high admission scores, pursuing the major she loved, a major that did not have a "female-only" rule, many people spoke up to defend Nghia and his choice.

Ms. Pham Thuy, in Ho Chi Minh City, said that her child is also studying with the same teacher at a public kindergarten.

When she learned that the teacher was in charge of her child's class, she was quite surprised: "Huh, there's a kindergarten teacher?". She was surprised because she had never met him before, not because she was prejudiced. After that, she did not ask any more questions, but instead felt happy and recognized her child's teacher as positive, serious in his work, and acknowledged the parents' feedback very enthusiastically.

The mother saw that her child was very happy when he came home from school and she herself was also happy thinking that maybe her child would have the opportunity to be exposed to interesting things and gain more discipline from the teacher.

Ms. Thuy and the preschool teacher discuss child care (Photo: PT).

As far as she knows, her child’s teacher has been in this job for more than 10 years, which shows that he loves his job and is doing his job well. For her, choosing a school and class in the early years is not as important as who the child is exposed to and close to.

"I appreciate teachers' kindness and dedication to work more than gender," said Ms. Pham Thuy.

Prejudice is the real danger to children

Mr. Huynh Minh Thao, a gender equality expert and former communications director of the ICS organization specializing in LGBTQ rights in Vietnam, said that the news of a male student being admitted to the preschool education sector caused a wave of fierce debate, showing that men becoming preschool teachers is still rare, even considered a "paradox", not only in Vietnam but also in many other countries.

In the comments about this case, many people expressed discrimination, associating men with "unsafe" risks for children, and even questioning their sexual orientation and gender.

This phenomenon, according to Mr. Thao, reflects a sad truth that society's awareness of gender equality is still limited and prejudice is the real danger to children.

Teacher Nguyen Phuong Binh, a preschool teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, received the Vo Truong Toan award in 2019 (Photo: HN).

Mr. Thao emphasized that there is no scientific evidence to show that male teachers are more dangerous than female teachers in caring for and educating children. International studies agree that the risk of child abuse or violence does not come from gender but from individual personality, lax management environment and lack of protection mechanisms.

The education system in developed countries has long applied general protection principles to all teachers, regardless of gender, such as installing cameras, regulations that do not leave a teacher alone with a child for too long, or that changing clothes and hygiene must be supervised.

It is these standards and rules that ensure children's safety, not the exclusion of a certain gender from a profession.

Mr. Thao said that society easily doubts men because of the ingrained prejudice that childcare is considered a “women’s duty.” People believe that women are gentle, patient, and suitable for raising children; while men are rough, rigid, and potentially dangerous.

This association is not only biased but also unscientific. It both limits men's career choices and unintentionally teaches children that caregiving roles are exclusively female.

Meanwhile, psychological research shows that children benefit from exposure to diverse gender role models during their development: boys learn gentleness from their teachers, girls learn strength from their teachers, and vice versa. It is this diversity that helps to form a well-rounded personality.

Mr. Huynh Minh Thao said that the concern about child abuse is real and legitimate. Children are the most vulnerable and every adult has a responsibility to protect them. But if that concern turns into systematic discrimination against men in the preschool profession, it has gone too far.

“We cannot build safety for children by spreading prejudice and eliminating career opportunities for a group of people. Child protection must be based on the law, supervision mechanisms, professional standards and ethical education, not on emotional assumptions about gender,” said Mr. Huynh Minh Thao.

This person informed that in many countries, this problem has been solved by policies that encourage male participation in preschool education. In Norway, Denmark or Sweden, media campaigns affirming that "men can also take care" have changed the way society views.

The government offers scholarships, promotion opportunities and celebrates male teachers as a symbol of gender equality. As a result, the proportion of men in the preschool sector in these countries has increased from 7 to 10%, much higher than the world average.

Mr. Huynh Minh Thao, gender equality promotion expert (Photo: SAS).

In New Zealand, the Men in ECE movement has created a close-knit community of male teachers who have come together to demonstrate their positive value in children’s development. These efforts not only help to break stereotypes, but also have the practical benefit of children seeing and learning about equality from their earliest years in the classroom.

On the contrary, by perpetuating the stereotype that “male preschool teachers are dangerous,” we are sending children a distorted message that gender determines competence and safety. This message is more dangerous than anything else, because it sows the seeds of prejudice in future generations.

Children will grow up and continue to divide the gender roles into men as breadwinners, women as caregivers; men as leaders, women as support staff. Such a society cannot be truly equal.

This expert emphasized that to protect children, we should focus on mechanisms, laws and training. To build equality, we should expand career opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender.

Mr. Huynh Minh Thao shared: "It is necessary to recognize that the presence of men in the preschool industry is not only normal but also necessary. It helps to break down gender barriers, bring about a diverse learning environment and, above all, teaches children that anyone can care for, love and nurture others."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nam-sinh-duy-nhat-hoc-nganh-mam-non-bi-cuoi-nhao-nhieu-nguoi-len-tieng-20250912055254394.htm