The role of the school in children's development from parent’s perspectives

Below are the individual experiences of three parents whose children have been studying at the Vietnam Australia International School (VAS) from Kindergarten to Graduation.

Equipping children to become productive members of society

When sending their children to school, three things most parents will keep in mind are how their children will be taken care of in early grades, what they will learn and who they are expected to become in higher education levels.

“When my two children were in primary, I was very pleased with the care from their homeroom teachers as well as nannies. When they entered lower secondary and upper secondary levels, what I was most satisfied with is the knowledge of the teachers at VAS”, said by Mr. Can Vu Tuan - Director of a consulting company which is co-owned by the British and French governments, parent of Can Vu Binh Minh, 12^th grader at Sunrise campus. According to him, VAS teachers are very dedicated and dynamic. They are always proactive in keeping their knowledge updated which will then be effectively delivered to their students. “Right now, my son’s in grade 12 and I find that what he’s been taught is completely updated in a fast-paced world. He has now received scholarships and approvals from 6 out of 14 schools which he applied to and we are still waiting for the responses from the other 8 schools”.

In addition to enhancing his son’s academic knowledge, Mr. Tuan finds that it is essential to develop the required ethical values and personality traits for him. Many people think that children will be pampered in the international schools, but for Mr. Tuan, when sending Binh Minh to VAS, he is assured that his son will be well educated through the effective learning environment and educational setting of the school. Mr. Tuan is also proud to share that during 12 years at VAS, his son has always been a person with integrity and has never told lies. “We all have different purposes, different requirements but in general, we still want our children to be educated to become good citizens who would make great contribution to the society. As for me, VAS has met all the requirements”, he commented.

 

Fast integration with the international environment

Ms. Nguyen Hoai Phuong - Marketing Communication & Admin Manager, SKF Vietnam Company – parent of three children who have been studying at VAS commented: “The school has offered very logical teaching approaches and study focuses in order to optimize the effectiveness in the MOET programme. In terms of the Cambridge programme, teachers are very devoted, and through Microsoft Teams, they are almost always available to answer any questions from their students. My children always feel comfortable in their studies”.

Ms. Phuong's first two children have spent 10 years studying at VAS. They have achieved bachelor and master degrees in finance and are working in Australia. “After leaving VAS, both of them were very confident with their English skills as well as their knowledge. They seem to find it easy to integrate socially. Obviously, they both achieved 7.5 in IELTs. In terms of A Level and IB Programmes, they're both the top highest score students at school”. Sharing more about her children's learning results, Ms. Hoai Phuong said that in order to achieve those significant results, her children have been well-prepared with knowledge, skills and competencies at VAS. Their self-study skills are highly effective as well. All of that helped them get ready before entering higher education levels.

Her youngest daughter, Phung Nguyen Thien Ngan, is currently attending class 7.R2, Riverside campus. She is also an active student who has gained a lot of achievements in both academic and talent cultivation activities.

Being confident and courage to cope with any situation

Before being a VAS parent, Ms. Huynh Mai My Hue - Director of design and construction of yachts and hotels industry was also a student of VAS. Her younger sister, born in 2000, also went to VAS and is currently attending a university in the U.S. Looking back at the time studying at VAS, Ms. My Hue shared: “The teachers at VAS have strictly trained me to become a well-behaved student while at the same time kindly giving me my own space so that I could grow myself naturally. VAS nurtured my confidence, helped me develop my skills in dealing with issues, either at my work and in my life. All the experiences I got from VAS would never be forgotten.

When deciding to let An Danh and An Vinh study at my old school, I just hope that all the experiences that I have had at VAS will also be the same as what my children are about to take in. From the shy boys, now they are much more confident, especially in communicating in English. There are many reasons for me to choose VAS and I myself am an eyewitness of my decision”.